' 


1 


?* 


BANCROFT 
LIBRARY 


THE  LIBRARY 
OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 


Bancroft  Library 

University  of  California 

WITHDRAWN 


TWELVE  MONTHS   IN   PERU 


E.  B.  CLARK 


ILL  USTRA  TED 


NEW    YORK 

MACMILLAN   &   Co. 
189  I 


7/ 


Bancroft   Library 

University  of  California 

WITHDRAWN 

fiencBoh  Libnuy 


TO 


MRS.     HOWARD     J  O  H  N  S  T  O  N, 

^■^  OF    MIRAFLOKES, 


WHOSE  KINDNESS  AND   HOSPITALITY  AFFORD 

THE  AUTHORESS   SO  MANY  PLEASANT   RECOLLECTIONS   OF 

HER    VISIT  TO   PERU,    THIS   SKETCH   IS   LOVINGLY 

DEDICATED 


PREFACE. 


In  presenting  this  little  work  to  the 
public,  one  word  of  apology  is  due  for 
its  autobiographical  tendency. 

Far  was  it  from  my  original  purpose 
to  thrust  my  own  individuality  so  promi- 
nently into  the  foreground  —  as  my 
historical  manuscripts  will  testify — and 
the  suggestions  of  those  more  qualified 
to  judge  than  my  humble  self  must  be 
responsible  for  the  seeming  egotism. 
Nevertheless  I  venture  to  hope  that  my 
efforts    to   please   may  claim  at   least   a 

A 


X  PREFACE. 

small  portion  of  tliat  leniency  and  gene- 
rosity tliat  characterise  the  reading  public, 
wheresoever  they  may  be  and  to  whatso- 
ever nationality  they  may  belong. 

E  B.  C. 


CONTENTS. 


FROM   COLON   TO    LIMA. 
CHAPTER  I. 

PAGE 

Colon — Laying  of  tne  Panama  Railroad— Impor- 
tance of  it  and  difficulties  encountered — 
Pestilential  climate — Failure  of  the  Canal — 
Striking  features  of  the  Isthmus — Popu- 
lation— Barbacoas  Bridge — Basaltic  Clifl's  .  1 

CHAPTER  II. 

City  and  Bay  of  Panama — Lines  of  Steamers — 
On  the  South  Pacific — Guayaquil — Inca 
roads  and  emerald  mine — Paita — Port  of 
Callao — Foundation  of  Lima — Origin  of  the 
name  Pkru 22 

CHAPTER  III. 

Review  of  the  war  with  Chili—  City  of  Lima — 
Its  plaza — Paintings  in  National  Library — 
Francisco  Pizarro's  life  and  character — 
Milkwoman  and  waterman  —  Peruvian 
newspapers — Churches    in    Lima  —  Santa 


Xll  CONTENTS. 


Rosa  de  Santa  Maria — National /e^e — Peru- 
vian characteristics  and  amusements — 
Outskirts  of  Lima 36 

CHAPTER  IV. 

Climate  of  Lima — Humboldt  current — Earth- 
quakes— Battles  of  Chorrillos  and  Miraflores 
— The  English  befriend  Peru — Holy  Week 
— Hospitals — Franciscan  friars — Carnival 
— Agriculture,  manufactures,  and  exports 
—  Guano  and  nitrates — Peruvian  bark — 
Fruits  and  vegetables — Native  dishes — 
Wines — Coinage — Government — Presiden- 
tial elections — Area  and  Population — 
Remarkable  men         .....  60 


IX   THE   SIEREA. 

CHAPTER  I. 

Boundaries  of  Peru — Physical  divisions — Pre- 
parations for  ascending  the  Andes — Village 
of  Chosica,  and  flora — Verrugas  Bridge — 
Mountain  climbing — Matucana— TheSacred 
Rimac — Viso  Bridge — Mountain  Scenery — 
Chicla — Sorroche 83 


CONTENTS.  Xlll 

CHAPTER  IT. 

PAGE 

Oroya  railroad — Projected  terminus  —  Hand- 
cars— Village  of  Casapalca  and  smelting 
works — Summit  crossing — Huascacoclia — 
Life  in  the  Sierra — -Telephones  erected — 
Climate — Cause  of  the  heavy  rains     .         .         109 

CHAPTER  III. 

Yule-tide  festival — Chacta — Cholo-Imlian  cus- 
toms, dress,  and  appearance — Coca — Llamas 
— Yauli,  and  Chanchamayo  valley — Manu- 
factures and  products  of  the  Sierra — Animal 
life — Mining  interests — Waterfall  of  Puy- 
Puy — Descent  from  the  Cordillera      .         .         127 

CHAPTER  IV. 

Return  to  the  coast — Noted  watering-places 
near  Lima — Second  journey  to  the  moun- 
tains— Cuzco — Voyage  to  Panama — Pacific 
Mail  s.s.  from  Colon  to  New  York — New 
York  city — Return  to  England  .         .         .         146 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


PAGE 

City  of  Lima,  with  Cathedral  Front,  Frontis- 
piece. 

Youthful  Cholo 49 

Landscape  showing  Crest  of  South  American 

Continent,  24,000  Feet        .        .        .        .85 

Verrugas  Bridge 95 

Smelting  Works  of  Casapalca  .        .        .        .117 
Christmas    Festivities  amongst  the  Cholo- 

Indians 126 

Group  of  Llamas 134 

Mountain  Scenery,  showing  the  River  Man- 

TARO 138 


INTEODUCTION. 


As  Peruvian  annals  date  no  further  back 
than  the  eleventh  century,  our  knowledge 
of  the  aborigines  of  the  country  must 
necessarily  be  scanty  and  conjectural  to  a 
very  great  extent ;  and  the  ancient  Egyp- 
tians, Assyrians,  Chinese,  and  Asiatic- 
Indians  have  all  been  quoted  by  anti- 
quarians as  probable  progenitors  of  the 
great  Peruvian-Indian  race.  But  whoever 
the   earliest  inhabitants  may  have  been, 


XVlll  INTRODUCTION. 

certain  it  is  that  they  left  behind  them 
many  valuable  and  substantial  monuments, 
which  their  successors,  the  Incas,  who 
governed  the  country  for  upwards  of  four 
hundred  years  previous  to  the  Spanish 
Conquest  in  1535,  were  not  slow  in 
appreciating  and  imitating. 

Like  the  warlike  Aztecs,  Peruvians 
claimed  descent  from  bearded  white  men, 
and  what  Quetzalcoatl  was  to  the  former 
Manco  Capac  was  to  the  latter.  Both 
are  represented  as  mysterious  beings, 
appearing  without  any  indication  of  the 
places  of  their  birth,  and  acting  as  high- 
priests  and  legislators,  desirous  of  pro- 
moting peace,  industry,  and  the  arts,  and 
effecting  a  sudden  change  in  the  policy  of 


INTRODUCTION.  XIX 

both  nations,  by  whom  they  were  received 
with  j  oy  and  veneration.  The  word  Inca 
signified  in  Quichua  a  king  or  lord,  and 
tlie  office  was  hereditary.  Twelve  or 
thirteen  of  these  Incas  reigned  in  succes- 
sion from  Ingasman  or  Mango  Capac 
to  Atahualpa,  whose  contentions  with 
his  half-brother  HuasCar  for  universal 
empire  rendered  the  country  so  easy  a 
prey  to  the  Spaniards  under  Francisco 
PiZARRO,  and  gave  rise  to  the  saying  that 
"  whereas  the  subjugation  of  the  Mexicans 
required  the  abilities  of  a  Cortes,  that  of 
the  gentle  and  yielding  Peruvians  needed 
only  the  unblushing  perfidy  and  rude 
daring  of  a  Pizarro."  At  Cuzco,  Huascar's 
capital,    stood    that    magnificent   temple 


XX  INTRODUCTION. 

dedicated  to  the  Sun,  which  has  been 
described  as  a  "mine  of  burnished 
gold." 

The  first  intimation  the  Spaniards  had 
of  this  southern  El  Dorado  was  probably 
in  the  year  1511,  when,  according  to  the 
historian  Herrera,  who  derived  his  infor- 
mation from  the  sons  of  the  Conquerors, 
a  young  barbarian,  observing  some  Spani- 
ards w^eio-hino^  and  distributing  gold  and 
silver  with  much  avidity,  told  Vasco 
Nunez  de  Balboa,  the  Spanish  Governor 
of  Darien,  that  he  knew  of  a  land  where 
gold  was  as  plentiful  as  iron  to  an 
European,  and  where  he  could  eat  and 
drink  out  of  golden  vessels.  The  natural 
cupidity  of  the  Spaniard  was  now  aroused, 


INTRODUCTION.  XXI 

and  in  1513  he  and  a  few  bold  men 
crossed  the  narrow,  and  then  almost 
impenetrable,  Isthmus  which  separates 
the  Atlantic  and  Pacific  Oceans,  and 
prepared  for  an  exploring  ex^Dedition 
southward ;  but  it  was  reserved  for 
Francisco  Pizarro,  one  of  his  followers,  to 
unite  the  vast  Peruvian  Empire  to  the 
Spanish  crown. 

Desperate  deeds  are  best  wrought  by 
desperate  men,  and  Pizarro's  greatest 
successes  were  undoubtedly  due  to  his 
coups-de-main  in  emergencies  when  most 
other  commanders  would  have  hesitated 
to  risk  an  offensive  measure.  For  example, 
his  capture  of  the  Inca  Atahualpa  in  the 
very   midst    of    his   followers,    and    the 


XXU  INTRODUCTJON. 

perfidious  death  of  that  unfortunate 
monarch  when  De  Soto,  the  future 
discoverer  of  the  Mississippi,  and  the 
only  Spaniard  who  would  have  dared  to 
raise  the  voice  of  justice  against  the 
Conqueror's  informal  act,  was  absent 
searching  for  proof  of  his  imputed  guilt 
in  fomentinoj  a  rebellion  amon2:st  the 
Indians. 

But  the  exactions  and  oppressions  of 
the  settlers  and  their  descendants  at 
length  aroused  the  latent  ire  of  the 
Peruvian  race  ;  and  when  their  champion 
General  San  Martin  arrived  with  his 
3000  Argentines,  aided  by  war-ships  and 
transports  from  Chili,  commanded  by 
Earl  Cochrane,  they  gladly  rose  en  masse 


INTRODUCTION.  XXlll 

and   proclaimed    their   independence    on 
July  28tli,  1821. 

Thus  ended  Spanish  sovereignty  in 
"  The  Land  of  the  Incas  "  after  an  occupa- 
ton  of  about  286  years  under  forty-three 
successive  Viceroys. 


I. 
Jfrom  Colon  to  Xlma* 


CHAPTER    1. 

"  YocR  countrymen  .seem  to  know  Ijut 
little  about  our  social  condition,"  is  a 
remark  that  meets  tlie  Enoiisli  traveller 
in  South  America  oftener  perhaps  than  he 
could  wish  ;  and  however  promptl}^  and 
unblushingly  he  may  parry  the  attack  by 
boasting  that  the  British  possessions  alone 
would  demand  a  lono;  life's  studv,  vet  a 
secret  consciousness  remains  that  the 
taunt  is  not  unfounded,  and  jiarticularly 
may  this  be  said  with  regard  to  Peru,  for 
beyond  knowing  that  it  is  a  country  on 
the  west  coast  of  South  America  noted 
for  silver  mines,  guano,  revolutions,  and 
<^arthquakes,  this  most  interesting  "Land 


4  TWELVE  MONTHS  IN  PERU. 

of  the  Iiicas  "  is  to  the  averao-e  EiiQ-lish- 
man  a  terra  incognita. 

For  this  reason,  and  after  twelve 
months'  residence  in  the  Rej)ublic,  I  pur- 
pose giving  my  countrymen  and  women 
a  brief  outline  of  my  own  experience 
and  observations  there,  trusting  that  it 
may  not  be  uninteresting  to  them  to  tread 
its  tropical  shores  and  climl)  its  Andean 
heights  in  imagination  instead  of  adopting 
the  more  arduous  physical  process. 

Some  years  ago  Fate,  Chance,  or  what- 
ever that  mysterious  hidden  power  may 
be,  ti'ansplanted  me  to  the  Brazilian  shores  ; 
and  it  was  during  a  few  months'  sojourn 
there  that  my  first  keen  interest  in  the 
Peruvian  Indian  race  arose.  Most  gladly, 
then,  did  I  undertake  a  journey  to  Peru 
in  1889,  and  personally  acquaint  myself 
with  this  ancient  historic  land. 


FROM  OOLO>r  TO  LIMA.  5 

-  Witli  gallant  speed  our  vessel  ploiiglied 
the  mighty  deep,  and  seventeen  days  from 
Liverpool  approached  the  wharf  of  Aspin- 
wall  (although  I  cling  to  the  name  Colon, 
and  always  mourn  the  fact  of  the  great 
Columluis  dying  in  ignorance  of  his 
achievement — the  finding  of  a  continent), 
where  in  mist  and  rain,  early  one  morning 
in  July,  we  strained  our  anxious  gaze  to 
view  that  "  deadly  Isthmus,"  "  the  white 
man's  grave,"  and  satisfy  ourselves  of  its 
pernicious  clime. 

Colon  stands  on  the  Manzanilla  Island, 
and  does  nob  commend  itself  to  the 
visitor  as  a  desiraljle  life-long  residence, 
unless  indeed  he  hope  to  "  shuffle  off 
this  mortal  coil"  with  greater  haste  than 
Nature  otherwise  intended. 

A  motley  population,  many  of  them 
descended    from    African     slaves,    some 


b  TWELVE  MONTHS  IX  PERU. 

foreign-looking  shops  where  costly  eurios- 
ities  abound,  delicious  fruits  peculiar  to  the 
tropics,  and  a  few  good  residences  facing 
the  sea,  are  its  most  striking  features. 
While  on  Monkey  Hill  close  by  an 
imposing  looking  cemetery  appears,  where 
the  remains  of  the  victims  on  l)otli  E  ail- 
road  and  Canal  are  laid. 

When  I  sa}'  that  we  did  not  personally 
inspect  this  cemetery,  1  quote  it  as  a 
remarkable  fact,  l)ecause,  as  a  rule, 
visitors  are  taken  to  them  in  South 
American  towns  immediately  on  landing, 
either  because  they  are  the  best-kept 
pu])lic  walks,  or  because  they  aid 
reflection,  and  are  conducive  to  a  little 
wholesome  melancholia  I  suppose.  Span- 
ish, or  a  dialect  of  it,  is  spoken  generally 
on  the  Isthmus,  and  strange  enough  the 
jargon  sounds  to  uninitiated  ears.      From 


FROM   COLON  TO  LIMA.  / 

i\lay  to  October  is  its  \Yinter  or  rainy 
season,  when  malaria  prevails  to  a  greater 
extent  than  iisnal,  and  the  Ijeautiful 
flowers  and  fruits,  which  at  other  periods 
of  the  year  grow  so  luxuriantly,  refuse 
to  show  their  hidden  wealtli  and  beauty. 
Indeed  the  botanist,  geologist,  and  natura- 
list have  one  and  all  an  endless  scope  for 
study  in  these  vast  primeval  forest  lands 
and  swamps. 

But  I  anticipate,  and  in  order  to 
obtain  a  glimpse  of  this  prolific  field  of 
nature  the  railroad  must  be  traversed. 

Imagining  that  there  might  possibly 
be  five  or  six  stations  between  the 
termini — Colon  and  Panama,  forty-seven 
and  a  half  miles  apart  —  I  ventured  to 
suggest  incjuirv,  and  great  indeed  was  my 
surprise  on  hearing  there  were  tJiniij 
odd. 


8  TWELVE  MONTHS  IN  PERU. 

American  cars  with  cow-catching  en- 
gines are  in  use,  and  for  passengers  and 
baggage  the  charges  are.  enormous,  the 
directors  doubtless  making  an  extra 
charge  for  the  malaria  and  dust  collected 
on  the  way.  Hurrying  through  life  is 
not  encouraged  here,  and  Isthmian  laws 
forbid  much  speed,  therefore  the  traveller 
may  expect  to  alight  at  Panama  in  two 
and  a  half  or  three  hours  after  leaving 
Colon,  with  botanic  specimens  collected 
near  the  different  dejiots  whilst  waiting 
for  the  train  to  start.  It  has  been  said 
that  every  sleeper  on  that  railroad  track 
was  laid  at  the  cost  of  a  workman's  life, 
and  one  certainly  has  ample  time  for 
dwelling  on  the  melancholy  circumstance 
during  transit.  I  wonder  what  effect  an 
express  train  travelling  at  the  rate  of  a 
mile  a  minute   would   have    upon   these 


FROM  COLON  TO  LIMA.  9 

sleepy  Isthmian  folk,  who  for  the  most 
part  lounge  around  their  huts,  and  smoke 
and  chat  throuo-hout  the  live-lono;  da\' 
But  the  layino-  of  a  railroad  throuo-h  such 
rugged  mountain  ranges  and  pestilential 
morasses  was  a  grand  and  mighty  under- 
taking after  all,  and  we  are  filled  with 
admiration  when  we  contemplate  the 
skill  of  the  engineers,  and  the  endurance 
of  the  workmen  who  accomplished  it. 

When  North  America  acquired  the 
territories  of  Oregon  and  California,  she 
found  that  a  more  convenient  means  of 
communication  with  her  new  possessions 
was  desirable,  and  Mr  George  Law  and 
Mr  AVilliam  Aspinwall  secured  a  strip  of 
land,  extending  from  the  Atlantic  to  the 
Pacific  Ocean,  across  the  nnrrow  Isthmus. 
Messrs  As})inwall,  John  Stephens,  and 
Henry  Chauncey  then  contracted  with  the 


10  TWELVE  MONTHS  IN  PERU. 

government  of  New  Granjida  for  the 
construction  of  a  railroad,  and  Mr  Bald- 
win, an  experienced  engineer,  explored 
the  proposed  route  in  company  with  Mr 
Stephens. 

The  line  was  not  to  exceed  fifty  miles 
in  length,  two  ports,  one  on  the  Atlantic 
and  the  other  on  the  Pacific,  were  to  be 
free  of  duties,  and  the  contract  was  to 
remain  in  force  for  forty-nine  years, 
unless  New  Granada  should  wish  to 
purchase  after  the  lapse  of  at  least 
twenty  years.  Further,  a  deposit  of 
120,000  dollars  was  to  l)e  made  at  the 
commencement,  and  paid  back  with 
interest  on  the  completion  of  the  work 
within  eight  years. 

Now  the  advanta«:es  of  this  railroad 
would  be  manifold  ;  for  besides  shortening 
and   facilitatinii"   the   route  to  California, 


FROM  COLON  TO  LIMA.  1  1 

where  gold  had  hitely  Ijeeii  discovered, 
it  woukl  also  open  up  a  quicker  passage 
to  Australia,  China,  and  the  East. 

The  Legislature  of  New  York  next 
became  interested  in  the  scheme,  and  in 
1849  granted  a  charter  for  the  formation 
of  a  stock  company,  when  1,000,000 
dollars'  worth  of  stock  were  taken  up, 
and  the  contract  was  transferred  to  them. 

Beo-innino-  at  Navy  Bay  and  cuttine^ 
through  a  deep  morass  and  an  almost 
impenetrable  jungle  reeking  wich  malaria 
the  first  fourteen  miles  of  the  line  were 
laid,  then  by  steep  hillsides  and  over 
yawning  chasms  to  the  summit  ridge, 
when  it  descended  abruptly  to  the  shores 
of  the  Pacific.  Nor  were  these  the  only 
difficulties  with  which  the  engineers  had 
to  contend ;  for  in  consequence  of  the 
incompetency    of  the    natives — a    mixed 


12  TWELVE  MONTHS  IN  PERU.  . 

racG  of  Indians,  Spaniards,  and  Negroes — 
labourers  had  to  l)e  imported,  the  resources 
of  the  country  did  not  suffice  for  their 
support,  and  the  Isthmian  timber  was 
not  sufficiently  durable  for  the  work. 
All  these  were  therefore  broug-ht  from 
distant  lands  at  great  expense,  while  the 
sufferings  of  the  workmen  from  fever, 
drenching  rains,  mosquitoes,  sand-flies, 
and  other  insects  fill  the  mind  with 
horror  when  the  details  are  described  by 
those  who  witnessed  or  experienced  them. 
In  May  1850  :\Ir  Trautwine,  with  Mr 
Baldwin  as  assistant  engineer,  began  the 
work  of  clearing  where  Colon  now  stands. 
But  a  residence  on  shore  was  soon  de- 
clared impossible  on  account  of  the 
pestilential  vapours,  insufferable  heat, 
reptiles  of  every  description,  and  annoying 
insects,  from    whose   maddening    attacks 


FROM  COLON  TO  LIMA.  13 

the  gauze  veils  worn  afForcIed  little  real 
defence.  In  this  emergency  a  brig  was 
hired,  and  into  it  the  men  repaired  at 
night ;  but  even  here  their  winged  foes 
appeared  and  soon  compelled  them  to 
vacate  the  cabin  for  the  deck,  where 
drenching  night  rains  caused  the  death 
of  many. 

Later  on  the  Telegraijh,  a  condemned 
steamship,  was  purchased  for  a  residence, 
and  as  the  work  progressed,  shanties 
on  piles  above  the  swamps  were  raised. 
A  surgeon  next  arrived,  hospitals  were 
I)uilt,  and  the  men  received  more  care 
and  food.  Yet,  from  various  causes, 
their  numbers  still  decreased,  financial 
losses  came,  and  for  a  few  weeks  the  line 
remained  in  statu  quo.  Then  fresh 
recruits  were  drafted  in,  and  in  October 
1851  some  working  cars   were  drawn  by 


14  TWELVE  MONTHS  IN  PERU. 

locomotive  power  to  Gatun.  This  was 
followed  by  the  transportation  of  passen- 
gers, who  journeyed  up  the  Chagres  river 
by  boat  from  the  point  where  the  railroad 
ceased,  and  then  floundered  throuo;h 
morasses  and  climbed  the  heisfhts  on 
mule-back  until  Pananij'i  was  reached — a 
mode  of  transit  somewhat  similar  to 
Balboa's  in  1513,  I  should  say.  But 
again  financial  difficulties  and  a  scarcity 
of  workmen  barred  the  way,  and  almost 
a  year  elapsed  before  the  company  could 
resume  the  line  at  Barbacoas  with  the 
help  of  7000  fresh  hands.  Many 
hundreds  of  these  soon  failed  them,  it 
is  true,  but  the  railroad  was  puslied  on, 
and  in  January  1854  the  summit  range 
was  reached.  Only  eleven  miles  now 
intervened  Ijetween  them  and  Panama, 
where  a  movement   to    oj^en  a  line  and 


FROM  COLON  TO  LIMA.  15 

meet  their  friends  was  started  ;  and  on 
January  27,  1855,  the  grand  object  of 
runnino;  a  locomotive  from  the  Atlantic 
to  the  Pacific  was  attained,  although 
many  improvements  had  still  to  be  made  ; 
and  it  was  not  until  January  1859  that 
the  railroad  with  sidings  was  complete ; 
the  cost  up  to  that  time  having  been 
8,000,000  dollars,  and  the  earnings 
8,146,605  dollars. 

Communication  by  land  between  the 
two  oceans  being  now  established,  the 
next  projected  plan  w^as  to  connect  them 
l)y  water  also.  But  here,  again,  innumer- 
able difficulties  stopped  its  course ;  and 
the  ill-fated  Panama  Canal,  engineered 
by  the  De  Lesseps,  begun  in  1876,  and 
abandoned  in  1889,  is  still  too  fresh  in 
public  memory  to  need  much  comment. 
Great  depression  prevailed  on  the  Isthmus 


IG  T^YELYK  MONTHS  IX  PERU. 

during  our  first  visit  there  on  account 
of  its  abandonment,  which  proved  a 
crushing  blow  to  shareholders.  For  a 
considerable  distance  it  accompanies  the 
railroad,  and  at  La  Boca,  the  Panama 
entrance,  a  number  of  vessels  lie  rotting, 
while  from  different  portions  of  the  line 
dredges  and  trucks  are  seen,  all  appar- 
ently useless,  or  regarded  as  such.  Many 
millions  of  francs  are  still  required  for 
the  completion  of  the  work,  and  mean- 
while the  Nicaragua  Canal  is  being  rapidly 
pushed  forward  by  the  States. 

On  leaving  Colon  by  railroad,  the 
swampiness  of  the  surrounding  land  first 
strikes  the  traveller's  gaze  I  think,  and 
then  the  curiously  constructed  wood  or 
bamboo  huts  raised  on  stone  or  wooden 
piles  above  the  swamps,  and  roofed  with 
palm  leaves.     Luxuriant  vegetation  lies 


FKOM  COLON  TO  LIMA.  17 

arouDcl,  and  the  low  mangrove  Lusli  with 
banyan-like  propensities,  the  waving 
bamboo,  and  the  many  kinds  of  palm 
supplying  sugar,  sago,  oil,  flax,  cocoa,  and 
an  endless  list  of  articles  of  food  and 
household  vessels,  excite  his  keenest  won- 
der and  delight.  The  giant  cedro  tree, 
mahogany,  the  lignum  vitce,  and  other 
valuable  woods  are  found  near  Ahorca 
Lagarto  too,  and  the  sugar  cane,  maize, 
rice,  the  plantain,  and  banana  wherever 
the  ground  is  dry  enough  for  cultivation. 
Flowers  during  the  dry  season  are 
both  profuse  and  beautiful,  and  near  Lion 
Hill  the  peristera  elata  orchid  grows. 
Like  the  tulip  in  form,  and  sweetly 
scented,  its  blossoms  are  of  snowy  white- 
ness, and  within  the  petals  lies  the  image 
of  a  dove,  hence  its  name  Jlor  del 
Espiritu  Santo,  flower  of  the  Holy  Ghost. 


18  TWELVE  MONTHS  IN  PEKU. 

Many  other  orchids,  the  sensitive  phmt 
with  pink,  feathery  blossoms  and  shrinking 
foliage,  a  great  variety  of  the  convolvulus 
creeper  covering  whole  trees  with  clinging 
tendrils,  aquatic  plants,  and  parasites  thrive 
well  on  the  Isthmus  too,  whilst  tropical 
fruits  are  represented  by  the  bread-fruit, 
orange,  lime,  lemon,  chirimoya  or  custard 
aj)ple,  mamei,  palta,  or  alligator  pear,  inne 
apple,  mango,  and  granadilla  or  passion 
fruit. 

But  less  desirable  and  more  alarming 
things  live  also  in  these  marshy  lands,  and 
the  boa-constrictor,  alligator,  scorpion, 
tarantula,  and  centipede  are  often  seen, 
while  the  wild  hog,  ant-eater,  tiger-cat, 
sloth,  opossum,  and  monkey  haunt  the 
jungle  close  at  hand. 

The  native  poj^ulation,  including  Span- 
iards, Indians,  Negroes,  and  Half-castes, 


FROM  COLON  TO  LIMA.  19 

ec|uip  themselves  with  long,  aggressive 
looking  knives  called  machetas,  and,  I 
doubt  not,  know  how^  to  make  good  use  of 
them  when  the  occasion  arises ;  but 
towards  the  stranger  they  display  a  kind 
and  friendly  air,  and  on  the  arrival  of  the 
trains  appear  to  rouse  themselves  from  a 
normal  lethargic  condition  and  take  the 
keenest  interest  in  the  passers  through. 
In  the  matter  of  clothing  they  are  not 
extravagant,  one  or  two  thin  garments 
sufficing  for  a  full-grown  representative  of 
either  sex,  and  the  little  children  dispens- 
ing even  with  these,  and  running  about 
in  a  nude  condition.  The  ubiquitous 
Chinaman  is  here,  of  course,  and  at  the 
different  railway  stations  may  generally 
be  seen  disposing  of  his  wares  and 
enjoying  a  pipe  of  peace,  filled  with 
opium. 


20  TWELVE  MONTHS  IN  PERU. 

Of  the  feathered  tril^e  I  may  mention 
the  a:org;eous  toucan,  the  oriole,  or  hano-- 
inor  bird,  so  called  because  it  hangs  its 
nest  from  the  branches  of  trees,  the 
parrot,  parrakeet,  wild  turkey,  pelican, 
grouse,  heron,  snipe,  and  humming  bird. 
As  elsewhere  in  the  Tropics,  songsters 
are  rare,  and  the  birds,  as  though  in 
compensation,  are  dressed  in  brilliant 
plumage. 

At  Barl^acoas  a  wrouo-ht-iron  brido-e, 
625  feet  in  length,  18  in  breadth,  and 
40  in  height,  spans  the  Chagres  Eiver, 
and  is  said  to  be  one  of  the  longest 
and  finest  bridges  of  its  kind  in  the 
world.  Still  nearer  to  the  summit, 
basaltic  cliffs  Avitli  an  angle  of  forty 
degrees  bespeak  another  instance  of  the 
natural  perpendicular  of  these  rocks 
having  been  displaced  by  some  volcanic 


FROM  COLON  TO  LIMA.  21 

agency,   and   remind   ns    of  tlie    Giant's 
Causeway  and  Fingal's  Cave. 

Bnt  tlie  C-athedral  towers  of  Panama 
are  looming  in  the  distance,  and  at  the 
terminus  our  minor  packages  are  seized 
upon  by  hordes  of  youthful  blacks,  all 
striving  to  upset  our  equilibrium  of  mind 
as  well  as  body.  At  length  the  medicine 
chests  and  all  are  saved,  and  borne  away 
in  carts,  whilst  we  ensconce  ourselves 
most  gingerly  in  a  dilapidated  two- 
wheeled  coach  called  buggy,  and  hope 
to  reach  the  Grand  Central  Hotel  ere 
nightfall,  despite  all  shocks  occasioned 
by  the  ruts  and  cobbled  streets. 


CHAPTER  II. 

The  city  of  Panama  has  many  historical 
associations,  and  its  time-worn  fortifica- 
tions are  full  of  interest  for  the  antiquar- 
ian. Pizarro  and  his  motley  crew  start 
into  life  before  us  now,  and  in  the  old 
Cathedral  close  at  hand  we  almost  see  a 
crowd  invoking  Heaven's  blessing  on  the 
Spanish  arms  about  to  seek  a  southern 
El  Dorado,  or  we  witness  that  strange 
contract  for  the  disposition  of  an  empire, 
not  yet  found,  between  Pizarro,  Luque, 
and  Almagro  more  than  360  years  ago. 

But  modern  Panama  stands  on  a 
peninsula  six  miles  north-west  of  the 
ancient  town  destroyed  by  Henry  Mor- 


FROM  COLON  TO  LIMA.  23 

gan  in  1661,  and  tlie  knowledge  that 
some  other  sacred  building  was  the 
conquerors'  resort  reclaims  our  wander- 
ing; thoug;hts. 

The  Republic  of  Colombia  now  includes 
New  Granada,  and  with  it  Panama,  and 
Bogota  far  inland  is  the  capital.  Many 
beautiful  islands — notably  those  called 
Pearl  Islands — adorn  the  spacious  bay, 
and  are  much  resorted  to  by  invalids  and 
others  needino*  chang;e  from  Panama's 
malarial  clime,  while  one  of  the  most 
beautiful  is  known  as  Dead  Man's  Island, 
and  appears  to  have  been  used  as  a 
sailors'  burial  Q-round  in  former  days. 
Three  other  crowded  cemeteries  may  now 
be  seen  when  driving  from  the  city  to 
La  Boca,  and  sadly  warn  us  of  the 
"  great  proprietor  of  all." 

Like    other    South    American    towns, 


24  TWELVE  MONTHS  IX  PERU. 

Panama  boasts  of  an  imposing-looking 
square  or  plaza,  bordered  by  some  of  tlie 
principal  buildings  of  tlie  ^^l^ce,  and 
ornamented  in  the  centre  with  an  array 
of  shrubs  and  flowers.  Facino-  the  Grand 
Central  Hotel  and  the  Pacific  Steam 
Navigation  ComjDany's  Office,  the  Cath- 
edral rears  its  head,  while  the  remaining; 
sides  are  occupied  by  the  Archbishop's 
Palace,  the  Office  of  the  Comj^agnie 
Universelle  du  Canal  Inter oceaniqiie, 
and  other  public  and  private  abodes.  A 
Chinese  store,  with  curios  many  and 
dear,  is  near  the  plaza  too,  and  is  well 
supported  by  passers  through  the  city. 
Nevertheless,  the  Panama  attractions 
are  not  sufficient  to  compensate  those 
who  are  compelled  to  spend  a  week  there, 
and  who  require  even  a  moderate  amount 
of  sleep  and  rest ;  for  in  the  hotels  mosqui- 


FROM  COLON  TO  LIMA.  25 

toes  and  fleas  dispute  one's  right  to  a 
bed,  and  huge,  brown  cockroaches,  and 
strange-looking  scorpions,  monopolise  the 
boards  free  of  rent  durino-  the — no,  not 
silent,  for  an  incessant  roll  of  coaches 
over  cobbled  streets  belies  the  adjective 
— stirring-  ^Yatches  of  the  nio;ht,  while  a 
lighted  candle,  which  scares  the  cock- 
roach, only  attracts  the  stinging  gnat 
through  windows  innocent  of  glass,  and 
furnished  with  Venetian  blinds  alone. 
Robert  Bruce  could  not  have  been  per- 
sonally acquainted  with  the  mosquito,  or 
he  would  never  have  held  up  a  spider  as 
the  truest  type  of  steady  perseverance 
I  am  sure  :  my  own  experience  proves 
that  one  mosquito  would  eclipse  a  whole 
battalion  of  house  spiders  in  tenacity  of 
purpose  and  design.  One  instance  will 
suffice.       The   w^earied    frame  is   sinking; 


26  TWELVE  MONTHS  IN  PERU. 

into  balmy  sleep,  and  the  brain  at 
last  forgets  life's  thousand  ills,  when 
forthwith  comes  a  well-known  ivhizz, 
which  rouses  every  sinful  passion  into 
play,  and  then  a  fruitless  chase  takes 
place,  only  to  be  renewed  at  intervals  the 
whole  nicrht  through,  until  at  dawn  of 
day  a  brief  and  unrefreshing  doze  is 
snatched. 

If  we  only  could  persuade  the  good  old 
lady  who  looks  after  us  that  there  are 
mosquitoes  in  the  house,  all  might  be  well ; 
but  slie  (like  the  mosquitoes)  is  perverse, 
and  feigning  not  to  see  the  bites,  still 
gives  us  tattered  nets,  which  all  our 
hairpins  don't  suffice  to  mend.  The 
natives  like  a  noise,  but,  strictly  speaking, 
are  not  musical,  if  I  may  judge  by  the 
strange  sounds  that  nightly  emanated 
from  their  bands. 


FROM  COLON  TO  LIMA.  27 

But  the  longest  week  must  have  an 
end,  and,  alas  !  for  our  ingratitude,  the 
many  kindnesses  received  from  English 
and  Colombian  residents  did  not  stop  our 
hailino;  with  delifi^ht  a  steamer  for  the 
south. 

Two  lines  of  steamers,  the  Pacific 
Steam  Navigiition  and  the  Chilian,  now 
ply  between  this  port  and  Valparaiso, 
and  two  palatial  boats  have  lately  been 
added  to  each  line,  although  the  rival 
companies  have  recently  amalgamated  to 
some  extent.  Both  are  for  the  most 
part  commanded  by  Englishmen  and 
Americans  ;  and  here  I  would  remark  that 
the  captains  on  the  South  Pacific  coast 
consult  the  comfort  and  the  welfare  of 
the  passengers  most  thoroughly,  and  are 
moreover  courteous  gentlemen  to  boot. 
The  steamers,  too,  are  good,  and  greatly 


28  TWELVE  M0NTH8  IX  PERU. 

we  rejoiced  in  having  deck  cabins  and 
square  windows  after  frizzling  down 
below  in  the  West  Indies  with  only- 
tiny  port-holes  to  afford  a  breath  of 
air. 

Embarking,  then,  on  one  of  the  P.S.N. 
Go's,  vessels,  we  bade  farewell  to  Panama, 
and  soon  were  sailing  on  a  calm  and 
peaceful  ocean  towards  Callao. 

The  passengers  were  few,  at  least  the 
loung;ers  on  the  deck  were  so,  for  South 
Americans  prefer  the  cabin's  stifling  heat, 
and  are  seldom  seen  from  the  time  they 
embark  until  tlie}^  go  ashore  again,  but 
our  cheery  captain  well  supplied  deficien- 
cies, and  a  merry  time  was  passed.  Much 
more  exciting,  too,  the  voyage  proved  than 
that  on  the  Atlantic  side.  Xow,  two 
days  out  of  Panama  we  reach  the  coast 
of  Ecuador,   pass   San   Lorenzo   and  the 


FROM  COLON  TO  LIMA.  29 

line,  and  on  the  following  day  ran  close 
to  Puna  Island,  where  Pizarro  in  former 
days  defeated  the  natives  and  handed 
them  over  to  their  enemies  of  Tumbez 
on  the  mainland,  while  San  Miguel,  the 
earliest  Spanish  settlement,  lay  in  the 
Tangarala  valley  not  far  oft'.  The  Gulf 
of  Guayaquil  has  many  towns  and 
villages,  behind  which  rise  the  dome-like 
Chimborazo  and  volcanic  Cotopaxi;  and  as 
we  gently  sail  upon  the  river,  broad  and 
picturesque,  the  feathery-looking  trees, 
which  skirt  the  neio-hbouringj  banks  and 
overhang;  the  water's  edoe  entrance  our 
wondering  gaze,  while  little  rafts  or 
balsas  darting-  in  and  out  remind  us  of 
the  Indian  craft  described  by  Prescott. 
Here  oysters  literally  groio  on  trees,  for 
the  low  growing  trees  and  bushes  steep 
their  branches  in  the  stream,  and  clinging 


30  TWELVE  MONTHS  IX  PERU. 

to  them  oysters  are  sometimes  found. 
But  Nature,  as  though  afraid  of  granting 
all  her  clioicest  gifts  upon  one  favoured 
spot,  has  stocked  these  swampy  banks 
with  allig-ators  too  ! 

Guayaquil  is  one  of  the  largest  towns 
on  the  coast,  and  in  former  days  her 
dockyards  were  important.  Hammocks, 
and  the  celebrated  Panama  hats  made 
from  the  leaves  of  the  homhandje  plaited 
under  water,  are  manufactured  here,  and 
bananas  and  other  fruits,  quinine,  sarsa- 
parilla,  and  some  silver  are  among  her 
many  exports.  We  did  not  go  ashore 
here  now,  but  on  my  return  journey  I 
was  enabled,  through  the  kindness  of  a 
fellow-jDassenger,  to  obtain  a  fuller  know- 
ledge of  the  place,  and  was  introduced 
to  the  ex-President,  who  in  turn  handed 
us  over  to  the  captain  of  the  port  to  be 


FROM  COLON  TO  LIMA.  31 

conveyed  back  to  the  steamer  in  his 
six-oared  boat. 

The  Andes  traverse  Ecuador  from 
north  to  south,  and  Quito,  the  capital, 
stands  at  an  elevation  of  9453  feet 
above  the  sea,  and  is  about  150  miles 
from  Guayaquil.  Two  Inca  roads  ran 
formerly  from  AtahualjDa's  capital  to 
Cuzco,  1500  miles,  one  being  cut  through 
a  mountainous  country,  and  the  other 
along  the  maritime  plain  for  a  consid- 
erable distance. 

The  famous  Emerald  mine  from  which 
the  Incas  enriched  their  treasury  was 
in  the  neighbourhood  of  Quito  too;  and 
when  at  Guayaquil  we  thought  of  Gallo, 
where  those  thirteen  heroes  crossed  the 
line  Pizarro  drew  upon  the  sand,  and 
dared  to  share  with  him  the  hardships 
of  his  "  trial  trip." 


32  TWELVE  MONTHS  IN  PERU. 

The  town  of  Piura,  celebrated  for  its 
fine  breed  of  mules,  lies  in  the  interior, 
and  is  connected  with  Guayaquil  by  rail- 
road. On  leaving  this  port  a  change  in 
the  character  of  the  coast  line  appeared, 
and  henceforth  sandy  treeless  strips 
supplied  the  place  of  verdure. 

At  Paita  we  anchored  and  shipped  some 
cattle  ;  but  the  brutal  way  in  which  they 
were  hoisted,  by  means  of  ropes  round 
the  horns,  from  barges  into  the  steamer, 
upon  the  deck  of  which  they  generally 
fell   struo'o^lino;   or  stumied,   aroused   my 

Co  CD  -^  ^ 

deepest  indignation  and  disgust.  Paita, 
on  account  of  its  freedom  from  mists 
and  clouds,  is  said  to  be  admirably 
adapted  for  an  astronomical  observatory, 
as  the  stars  are  nearly  alw^ays  visible  at 
night,  and  shine  with  greater  brilliancy 
than    elsewhere.     It  may   be    so,    but  I 


FROM  COLON  TO  LIMA.  33 

sliould  greatly  pity  the  astronomers 
located  there  with  nothing  but  a  sandy 
waste  around.  "  As  bright  as  the  moon 
at  Paita,"  is  an  old  and  well-known  simile. 
Trujillo,  founded  by  Pizarro,  and  named 
in  honour  of  his  birthplace,  joins  this 
port  by  rail,  and  is  a  thriving  and  impor- 
tant business  place. 

Pacasmayo  was  next  passed,  and  at  the 
port  of  Salaverry  the  shipping  and  un- 
loading detained  us  for  some  hours. 
Then  all  was  bustle  in  our  floating  house, 
excitement  reigned  supreme,  and  vain 
attempts  were  made  to  stow  away  vast 
purchases  ia  spaces  inelastic,  as  in  the 
deepening  twilight  we  watched  our  friend's 
approach  in  Callao  Bay,  and  knew  that 
we  had  reached  our  present  destination. 

The  ancient  town  of  Callao  was  entirely 
destroyed   by  earthquake   in    1746,   and 


34  TWELVE  MONTHS  IN  PERU. 

Lima  partially  so  :  both  suffered  in  the 
Arica  earthquake  of  1828,  and  a  tidal 
wave  in  1868  caused  an  incalculable 
amount  of  damage  and  loss  to  life  and 
property.  Two  lines  of  railroad  connect 
the  port  with  Lima,  eight  miles  inland, 
and  soon  we  find  ourselves  borne  off  in 
an  American  car  to  the  Peruvian  capital, 
Ijuilt  by  Pizarro,  and  called  by  him  Oiudad 
de  los  Reyes — City  of  the  Kings — in 
honor  of  the  Feast  of  the  Epiphany 
(January  6,  1535),  the  day  on  which  its 
site  was  determined.  Later  on  the  city 
was  called  Eimac  from  the  oracle,  and 
finally  became  converted  into  Lima. 

Peru  was  a  name  given  to  the  country 
by  its  Spanish  conquerors,  but  the 
origin  of  the  word  is  buried  in  obscurity, 
and  many  and  curious  are  the  derivations 
given.     Pascual  de  Andagoya  traces  it  to 


FROM  COLON  TO  LIMA.  35 

the  province  of  Bim,  Father  Yalera  to  the 
Quichua  word  Pirua,  a  granary,  and  the 
imao-inative  Garcillasso  de  In  Veg;a  to  the 
ancient  Ophir, — ever  open  to  location. 
The  Incas  called  their  country  Tavantin- 
suyu — four  quarters  of  the  world — and 
intersected  it  with  four  great  roads 
emanating  from  Cuzco. 

Modern  Peruvians  think  the  country 
was  named  from  Viru,  an  Indian  district 
near  Trujillo. 


CHAPTER  III. 

Even  in  the  abstract,  war  and  desolation 
are  much  to  be  deplored  ;  but  when  we 
see  a  beautifully  embellished  city  laid 
low  by  the  hand  of  wanton  destruction, 
our  inmost  nature  groans.  Such  is  Lima 
of  the  present  day ;  and  although  eight 
years  have  passed  away  since  that  dis- 
astrous Chilian  war,  she  still  bears  traces 
of  the  ravages  committed  then,  and  her 
many  roofless  and  dismantled  houses 
awaken  sentiments  of  pity  and  regret. 

Yet  she  has  somewhat  recovered  from 
that  crushing  blow,  and  the  wonted 
lis^ht-heartedness  of  the  Peruvian  returns 
as  he  sees  the  nation's  commerce  improve, 
and  his  own  finances  with  it. 

36 


FROM  COLON  TO  LIMA.  37 

Strange  as  it  may  seem,  guano  and 
nitrates — two  sources  of  wealth — have 
proved  as  fatal  to  the  modern  Peruvian 
as  gold  and  silver  were  of  3'ore  ;  for  were 
not  these  deposits  the  true  and  direct 
cause  of  the  Chilian  invasion  and  its 
deplorable  results  ?  Her  ironclads  were 
taken  or  destroyed,  the  guano  and  salt- 
petre provinces  of  Tacna  and  Tarapaca 
possessed  by  the  enemy,  and  a  prosperous 
countr}^  pillaged  and  left  a  ruin.  What 
the  result  of  the  plehiscitum  in  1893  may 
be,  when  a  final  settlement  of  the  pro- 
vinces handed  over  to  Chili  by  the  peace 
of  Ancon  in  1883  takes  place,  who  can 
tell  ? 

But  to  return  to  the  present  condition 
of  Lima.  In  the  j^^'^f^^^'^^  mayor,  about 
500  feet  square,  stand  some  of  the  most 
important  Innldings    in   the    city.      The 


38  TWELVE  MONTHS  IN  PERU. 

President's  Palace  and  Government  offices 
are  on  its  north  side,  and  the  imposing 
looking  Cathedral  a]:)proached  by  a  broad 
expanse  of  steps,  and  containing  solid 
silver  pillars  and  a  quantity  of  silver 
plate,  is  on  the  east,  where  also  the 
Archbishop's  residence  is  found.  The 
remaining  sides  contain  attractive  looking 
shops  under  portales,  over  which  the 
Municipalidad  and  gentlemen's  clubs 
are  seen,  all  having  spacious  balconies, 
densely  crowded  with  spectators  on  the 
occasion  of  a  public  rejoicing  in  the 
square.  In  the  Callejon  cle  Petateros 
(matmakers'  alley),  an  outlet  from  the 
square,  Pizarro's  house  once  stood,  and 
here  it  was  that  he  was  killed  by  young 
Almagro's  followers.  His  remains  now 
repose  in  the  new  Cathedral  beside  those 
of  the  good  Viceroy  Mendoza,  and  visitors 


FROM  COLON  TO  LIMA.  39 

still  solicit  portions  of  liis  cloak,  which 
has  been  renewed  on  several  occasions 
since  the  conqueror's  death  to  meet 
the  general  demand !  From  the  two 
towers  of  the  Cathedral  the  bodies  of 
two  of  the  notorious  Gutierrez  brothers 
were  suspended  after  the  murder  of 
President  Balta  in  1872  ;  they  w^ere  then 
taken  down  and  publicly  burned  in  the 
square. 

Flower  beds  and  ornamental  shrubs 
adorn  the  middle  of  the  'plaza,  where 
also  a  fountain  surmounted  by  a  bronze 
figure  of  Fame,  erected  by  Count  de 
Salvatierra,  Spanish  Viceroy  in  1653, 
and  many  colossal  statues  are  placed, 
while  the  longitudinal  streets  debouching 
therefrom  are  arranged  in  blocks  and 
traversed  by  tramcars.  "  Calle  de  la 
Mercaderes"  (the  merchants'  street),  to 


40  TWELVE  MONTHS  IN  PEUU. 

the  south  of  the  plaza,  is  the  best  for 
shops.     Here  jewellers,  modistes,  drapers, 
and   silversmiths    display  their   precious 
goods,  and  here  the  beauty  and  youth  of 
Lima  resort  from  four  to  six  o'clock.     In 
various  parts  of  the  city  some  handsome 
bridges    span   the    river  Rimac,   notably 
that  of  Desamparados,   where  fruit  and 
other   vendors    ensconce    themselves    in 
niches  and  sell  their  wares  to  passers-by. 
Earthquakes    are    frequent   here,    but 
many  of  the   houses    are   two  and   even 
three  stories  high,  and  the  fiat  Oriental 
roofs   are    used  for   drying    grounds  and 
other   purposes.      An    entrance   gateway 
forms    the    approach    to    many    of    the 
private    residences,     which    is    carefully 
lockelL     during     revolutionary     tumults. 
In  these  houses  the  dwellins;  rooms  are 
round   a   square,  with  the    centre  space, 


mOM  COLON  TO  LIMA.  41 

or  patio,  open  to  the  sky,  and  all  the 
lower  windows  are  closely  barred  with 
iron  rods.  Balconies  or  miradores  form 
a  pleasant  outlook  from  most  of  the 
houses,  and  wood-carvino;  often  relieves 
them.  The  mansion  of  the  Marquis  of 
Torre  Tagle,  built  of  stone,  and  richly 
ornamented  with  wood-carving,  is  espe- 
cially w^orthy  of  note. 

Imported  fruits  abound,  and  residents 
frequent  the  market  at  an  early  hour  to 
purchase  fruit  and  flowers.  The  large 
Chinese  quarter  lies  in  the  same  neighbour- 
hood too,  and  not  ftir  off  the  National 
Library  is  foujid,  and  w^ell  deserves  a 
look,  although  the  Chilians  have  robbed 
it  of  many  valuable  collections  of  paint- 
ings and  of  books.  Montero's  grand 
picture  of  "The  Funeral  Obsequies  of 
Atahualpa,    the    Last   of   the    Incas,"    is 


42  TWELVE  MONTHS  IN  PERU. 

there,  cind  gmpliically  depicts  the 
touching  ceremony.  His  body  lies  in 
state  enveloped  in  a  scarlet  robe,  and  as 
the  friar  Valverde  gabbles  through  the 
service  for  the  dead,  Pizarro  and  his 
cavaliers  stand  grouped  around.  But 
presently  loud  cries  are  heard  without, 
and  suddenly  some  Indians,  the  wives 
and  near  relatives  of  the  murdered  man, 
rush  wildly  up  the  aisle  and  press  around 
the  corpse,  exclaiming,  "  This  is  not  the 
way  to  perform  an  Inca's  funeral  rites," 
They  then  propose  to  sacrifice  themselves 
upon  his  tomb  and  go  with  him  to  the 
region  of  the  Sun.  Such  conduct  horrifies 
the  Spaniards,  and  after  explaining 
that  Atahualpa  had  died  in  the  faith 
of  a  Christian,  they  thrust  the  intruders 
from  the  sacred  edifice.  Silenced,  but  not 
convinced,  the  unhappy  women  retire  to 


FROM  COLON  TO  LIMA.  43 

their  abodes,  where  many  hiy  violent 
hands  upon  themselves  in  the  hope  of 
following  their  beloved  lord  to  the  sunny 
land  whither  he  w^as  gone. 

Pizarro's  portrait  too  is  seen  with  those 
of  the  other  viceroys  in  the  National 
Library  of  Lima  ;  and,  as  this  remarkable 
man  has  played  so  conspicuous  a  part  in 
Peruvian  history,  1  purpose  giving  a 
brief  outline  of  his  career. 

The  illesjitimate  child  of  Gonzalo 
Pizarro,  a  colonel  of  infantry,  and  Fran- 
cisca  Gonzales,  a  woman  of  humble  origin, 
and  born  probably  about  the  year  1471, 
Francisco's  chief  occupation  in  early  life 
seems  to  have  been  that  of  a  swineherd, 
which  so  little  suited  his  adventurous 
spirit  that  he  escaped  from  his  native 
place  Truxillo,  in  Estremadura,  to  Seville, 
and  there  joined  his  enterprising  country- 


44  TWELVE  MONTHS  IN  PERU. 

men  in  seeking  a  fortune  in  the  New 
World.  His  education  had  been  entirely 
neglected,  and  to  the  time  of  his  death 
his  signature  was  attested  by  a  ruhrica 
or  flourish.  After  serving  in  Hispauiola, 
and  accompanying  Balboa  in  his  terrible 
march  across  the  Isthmus  of  Panama,, 
he  was  appointed  to  succeed  Andagoya 
in  commanding  an  expedition  having  for 
its  object  the  discovery  and  conquest  of  a 
southern  El  Dorado. 

Innumerable  perils  and  hardships 
tracked  his  course,  but  the  great  Peruvian 
empire  was  at  length  added  to  the  Spanish 
crown  ;  and  Charles  V.,  in  recognition  of 
his  services,  and  after  much  delay,  enriched 
him  witii  absolute  authority  in  the  con- 
quered land  and  the  title  of  Marques  de 
la  Conquista.  The  foul  murder  of  the 
last  great  Inca  did  not,  however,  entail  a 


FROM  COLON  TO  LIMA,  45 

peaceable  possession  ;  and,  as  might  have 
been  expected  from  the  Lawless  and 
avaricious  nature  of  the  conquerors,  they 
soon  disputed  amongst  themselves,  until 
at  length  the  ]\Iarquis  himself  was 
murdered  by  his  countrymen  in  his  own 
house. 

In  reviewing  the  character  of  Pizarro, 
our  judgment  must  necessarily  be  guided, 
to  a  very  great  extent,  by  his  early  life 
and  the  lawless  nature  of  those  amongst 

O 

whom  his  lot  was  cast.  That  avarice  and 
ambition  ruled  his  actions  we  can  have  no 
doubt,  and  treachery  and  cruelty  most 
sadly  marked  his  course.  Nevertheless, 
we  clistinOTiish  in  him  a  courag-eous  and 
inflexible  constancy  that  constituted  the 
secret  of  his  great  success,  and  his  fol- 
lowers saw  in  him  a  leader  who  felt  for 
them    as    one    soldier    for   another,    and 


4G  TWELVE  MONTHS  IN  PERU. 

never  hesitated  to  share  their  greatest 
toils. 

Almost  irreligious  himself,  he  yet  pro- 
claimed the  message  of  the  Cross — for  the 
early  conquerors  were  deeply  imbued  with 
the  theory  of  religion,  however  much  their 
own  conduct  may  have  belied  the.  iwactice ! 
— and  by  his  hardships  and  endurance 
enriched  the  crown  of  Spain  with  one  of 
her  richest  j  ewels.  Tall,  well-proportioned, 
and  not  unpleasing  in  appearance,  he  was 
unostentatious  in  dress,  and  wore  on  j^ublic 
occasions  a  black  cloak  and  white  hat, 
while  his  portrait  now  on  view  dej)icts 
him  in  a  citizen's  dress  and  black  hat. 

Southey's  lines  on  the  Conqueror  do 
not  flatter  him,  but  they  may  not  be 
considered  an  inapt  summary  of  his 
career.  They  were  designed  for  a  column 
at  Truxillo — 


FROM  COLON  TO  LIMA.  47 

"  Pizarro  here  was  born  ;  a  greater  name 
The  list  of  Glory  boasts  not.     Toil  and  Pain, 
Famine,  and  hostile  Elements,  and  Hosts  embattled 
Failed  to  check  him  in  his  course. 
Not  to  be  wearied,  not  to  be  deterred, 
Not  to  be  overcome.     A  mighty  realm 
He  overran,  and  with  relentless  arm 
Slew  or  enslaved  its  unoffending  sons. 
And  wealth  and  power  and  fame  were  his  rewards. 
There  is  another  world,  beyond  the  grave. 
According  to  their  deeds  where  men  are  judged. 
0  Reader,  if  thy  daily  bread  be  earned 
By  daily  labour  ;  yea,  however  low. 
However  wretched,  be  thy  lot  assigned, 
Thank  thou,  with  deepest  gratitude,  the  God 
Who  made  thee,  that  tliou  art  not  such  as  he." 

Lima  boasts  of  many  hotels,  but  for  fami- 
lies the  most  desirable  are  the  "Maury" 
and  the  "  Hotel  de  Francia  3^  Inglaterra." 
Should  your  Spanish  be  deficient, 
French  is  perfectly  understood  in  both. 


48  TWELVE  MONTHS  IN  PERU. 

The  milk  woman,  a  Chola  or  negress 
seated  on  a  mule  between  her  cans,  and 
wearing  a  Panama  straw  hat,  and  the 
waterman  on  mule  or  donkey  with  his 
jars,  are  common  sights  in  all  the  streets, 
where  also  on  two  or  three  days  of  the 
week  men  selling  lottery  tickets  are 
frequently  seen. 

El  Comercio,  .El  Con.'^titucional,  El 
Nacional,  and  El  Pais  are  the  leading 
newspapers  of  Peru,  and  represent  in 
some  form  or  other  the  politics  of  the 
nation. 

Roman  Catholicism  prevails,  and  Lima 
is  essentially  a  city  of  churches,  monas- 
teries, and  convents.  Of  churches  there 
are  said  to  be  more  than  sixty,  many  of 
them  having  finely  carved  fagades. 

Santo  Domingo  is  the  oldest,  and 
San  Francisco  near  the  Rimac,  and  San 


u 


FROM  COLON  TO  LIMA.  51 

Pedro  with  its  grand  oak  altars  may  be 
mentioned  as  the  finest.  The  two  higli 
towers  of  San  Francisco  Iiave  stood 
some  sharp  attacks,  and  bear  more  bullet 
holes  than  the  cathedral  front.  To  the 
Madonna  within  the  niche  in  the  Capella 
del  Milagro  legend  ascribes  the  safety 
of  the  city  during  the  great  earthquake 
of  November  1630.  Her  effigy,  it  is 
said,  was  placed  over  the  porch  facing 
the  street ;  but  whilst  earnestly  praying 
for  the  city's  preservation  during  the 
shock,  she  changed  her  position,  and 
was  afterwards  discovered  facino;  the  hia;h 
altar !  La  Merced  in  the  Mercaderes  is 
much  frec^uented  by  worshippers  too,  and 
has  an  exquisitely  carved  fagade.  But 
all  the  churches,  even  the  cathedral,  are 
poorly  built,  and  consist  for  the  most 
part  of  cane,  timber,  and  sun-dried  bricks 


52  TWELVE  MONTHS  IN  PERU. 

faced  with  stucco  ;  the  same  may  be  said 
of  most  of  the  houses.  Saint  days  are 
general  holidays,  and  after  Mass  is  over 
die  city  is  en  fete. 

Santa  Eosa  de  Santa  Maria  is  the 
patron  saint  of  Lima,  and  on  August 
30th  her  effigy  is  borne  about  the  streets 
and  into  various  churches.  Unlike  the 
rest  of  humanity,  this  good  woman  was 
not  afflicted  with  sufficient  bodily  pain 
to  suit  her  pious  nature,  and  with  a 
determination  worthy  of  a  better  cause, 
encircled  her  waist  with  an  iron  belt  in 
penance  for  her  sins.  Fearing  that  phy- 
sical torture  would  induce  her  to  free 
herself  from  its  unwelcome  grasp,  she 
boldly  locked  the  belt,  and  nipped  a  sore 
temptation  in  the  bud  by  dropping  the 
key  into  an  apparently  bottomless  well, 
which  is  still  pointed  out  as  the  recep- 


FROM  COLOX  TO  LIMA.  53 

tacle  of  the  voluntary  gift !  I  looked 
down  into  it,  but  saw  nothing  of  the  key  ! 
It  never  seems  to  have  occurred  to  the 
o-irl  or  her  friends  that  a  locksmith  mig-ht 
solve  the  difficulty,  and  she  lived  and 
died  a  saint !  Religious  practices  are 
strictly  observed  by  the  Limenas,  who 
throng  the  streets  at  an  early  hour  on 
their  way  to  and  from  the  different 
churches.  The  devotion  of  the  men  is 
not  so  noticeable. 

In  honour  of  Peruvian  emancipation 
from  Spain  on  July  28th,  1821,  after  an 
occupation  of  nearly  300  years,  the  28th, 
29tli,  and  30th  of  July  are  national 
holidays,  and  a  general  rejoicing  takes 
place.  Business  houses  and  shops  are 
closed  for  these  three  days,  flags  of  all 
nationalities  adorn  the  streets,  services 
are    held   in    the    cathedral    and    other 


54  TWELVE  MONTHS  IN  PERU. 

chiirclies,  bands  of  music  and  processions, 
botli  military  and  religious,  parade  the 
city,  and  as  night  advances  balls  are  held 
and  fireworks  let  off.  To  us  it  seemed 
quite  natural  to  come  in  for  Eepublican 
rejoicings  again,  as  we  had  swelled  the 
strains  of  Yankee  Doodle  on  the  American 
day  at  St  Thomas,  and  had  been  in  time 
for  the  Marseillaise  and  illuminations  at 
Panamc4. 

Peruvian  ladies,  and  females  of  all 
classes,  wear  manias  of  a  crape-like 
material,  which  conceal  almost  the  whole 
person,  and  answer  the  double  purpose  of 
bonnet  and  shawl,  for  church  and  moruing 
shopping,  but  the  European  style  of 
dress  for  visiting  and  promenades.  In 
summer  weather  a  lace  maidUla  is  often 
substituted  for  the  heavier  manta,  and 
the  o'raceful  arrano-enient  of  botli  affords 


FROM  COLON  TO  LIMA.  55 

mucli  scope  for  the  taste  of  the  wearer. 
It  is  considered  highly  improper  for  a, 
Limeiia,  either  married  or  single,  to  walk 
the  streets  alone,  and  the  husband,  a 
lady  friend,  or  a  female  servant,  even 
though  she  may  be  only  fourteen  or 
fifteen  years  of  age,  is  always  discovered 
in  her  train.  How  terribly  imprudent, 
then,  must  the  independent  foreigner 
appear  to  their  punctilious  eyes!  And 
how  they  must  have  censured  my  lonely 
reconnoitring  strolls !  But  foreigners 
lack  that  world- famed  reputation  for 
beauty  and  grace  tljat  characterizes 
Limenas,  and  are  moreover  less  accus- 
tomed to  surveillance.  About  the  middle 
height,  Limenas  have  pale,  dark,  clear 
complexions,  greatly  aided  by  cosme- 
tics, bright  black  eyes  and  glossy  hair, 
tiny  feet,   excpisite    teeth,    a   vivacious. 


56  TWELVE  MONTHS  IX  PERU. 

pleasing  style,  and  are  most  graceful  dan- 
cers. Young  ladies  are,  as  a  rule,  slight 
in  figure,  l)ut  the  married  and  elderl}' 
are  decidedly  inclined  to  fleshiness,  which 
is  not  to  be  wondered  at,  seeing  they  take 
so  little  walking  exercise,  and  often 
engage  a  coach  to  convey  them  from 
one  street  into  the  next. 

Now  the  Lima  coach  is  a  special  study, 
for  it  takes  two  horses  to  draw  it  in  its 
(generally)  dilapidated  condition  over  the 
cobbles,  and  they  are  so  poor  that  I  have 
known  them  stop  altogether,  and  the 
driver  transfer  his  passengers  into  another 
vehicle.  The  enervatimx  climate  has 
doubtless  a  great  deal  to  do  with  their 
enfeebled  condition,  and  the  coachman 
lends  a  helping  hand,  for  his  whip  is 
seldom  at  rest. 

Love  of  gaiety  is   a  national  feature, 


FROM  COLON  TO  LIMA.  57 

and  the  theatres  are  densely  crowded 
when  anything  really  good  is  on  ;  for  the 
Peruvians  are  a  musical  people,  and  the 
light  Italian  operatic  style  is  more  pleasing 
to  their  ears  than  solid  German  strains, 
although  the  best  German  composers  are 
greatly  appreciated  too.  Ladies  dress 
superbly  for  the  phay ;  and  their  bright 
costumes,  diamonds,  and  glittering  gems 
make  the  opera  house  a  striking  picture. 
This  is  a  favourite  time  for  visiting  too, 
and  between  the  acts  it  is  customary  for 
gentlemen  to  call  upon  their  lady  friends 
in  the  boxes. 

Ceremonious  visits  are  usually  made 
in  the  afternoon,  as  with  us,  but  gentle- 
men who  have  little  leisure  during; 
these  hours  call  in  the  evening  after 
dinner. 

I  may  be  wTong,  but,  taken  as  a  whole. 


58  TWELVE  M0NTH8  IN  PERU. 

it  .struck  me  that  the  Peruanas  are 
superior  to  the  men,  both  morally  and 
in  intellectual  attainments,  although 
individually  it  was  my  privilege  to  know 
some  noble  members  of  the  sterner  sex. 
They  are  usually  about  the  middle 
height,  and  remind  one  of  an  European 
Spaniard. 

Bull-baiting  formerly  attracted  crowds 
of  Limefias  to  the  Plaza  de  Accho,  but 
this  barbarous  sport  is  now  encouraged 
by  the  men  alone.  Gambling  is  still  a 
favourite  pastime,  and  reminded  me  of 
an  incident  connected  with  one  of 
the  early  conquerors  who  received,  as  his 
share  of  the  spoil,  an  image  of  the  sun 
raised  on  a  plate  of  burnished  gold,  and 
torn  from  the  walls  of  the  temple  of 
Cuzco.  This  plate  he  gambled  away  one 
night,  and  thus  gave  rise  to  the  Spanish 


FROxM  COLON  TO  LIMA.  59 

proverb,  "  Jiiego  el  Sol  antes  que  aman- 
ezca " — He  plays  away  the  sun  before 
sunrise. 

A  large  cemetery  on  the  outskirts  of 
Lima  is  well  kept,  and  contains  some 
handsome  monuments  ;  while  the  Exhibi- 
tion and  Botanic  Gardens,  and  the 
Alameda  de  Descalzos,  form  delightful 
promenades,  gay  with  exquisite  roses 
and  flowers  of  every  shade  and  hue. 
But  here,  as  elsewhere,  the  total  absence 
of  grass  detracts  considerably  from  the 
beauty  of  the  flowers,  and  the  drj- 
parched  look  on  every  side  is  very  trying 
to  an  English  eye. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

No  heavy  rain  falls  on  this  portion  of 
the  Pacific  coast,  and  clouds  of  sand  and 
dust  are  ever  in  the  air,  December  and 
January  are  generally  the  warmest  months 
in  the  year,  and  the  maximum  summer 
heat  is  78°  Fahrenheit,  and  the  winter 
60°  or  thereabout.  The  Humboldt 
current  from  the  Antarctic  causes  the 
temperature  to  be  lower  here  than  in  the 
same  latitude  on  the  Brazilian  coast,  and 
for  this  reason  the  Peruvian  climate  is 
healthier,  although  at  times  a  great 
amount  of  malarial  fever  (terceanus) 
prevails,  and  particularly  during  the 
winter  months,  when  a  thick  mist  arises 

60 


FROM  COLON  TO  LIMA.  61 

witli  the  approacli  of  night  and  penetrates 
the  airy  Jiouses.  Firephices  in  sitting 
rijoms  and  bedrooms  are  unknown,  al- 
thoug;h  a  little  artificial  heat  at  these 
times  would  l)e  most  acceptable. 

Of  late  years  no  great  damage  has  been 
done  by  earthquakes,  and  the  first  we 
felt,  soon  after  our  arrival,  was  the  worst 
that  has  been  known  in  Lima  for  a  long- 
time. Indeed,  I  was  not  anxious  for  a 
severer  shock,  as  this  one  drc/ve  me  from 
my  bedroom  on  the  third  fioor  to  the 
corridor  of  the  hotel  at  six  a.m.  The 
house  seemed  wrapped  in  sleep ;  and 
remembering  that  I  was  but  slightly  clad, 
I  hastily  withdrew  again  to  wait  in  terror 
for  another  shock,  which  fortunately  never 
came,  and  soon  the  great  Cathedral  bell 
proclaimed  the  city's  thankfulness  for 
dangers    past.       Later    in    the    day   we 


62  TWELVE  MONTHS  IN  PERU. 

loanied  that  on  account  of  the  shock 
being  so  prolonged  and  strong  it  was 
greatly  feared  many  high  and  ancient 
Luiklings  wouhl  have  given  way,  but 
happily  no  harm  was  done. 

The  English  church  is  a  good-sized, 
comfortable  linilding,  and  the  services 
attractive  and  well  conducted,  but 
Church-going  Protestants  are  in  a  sad 
minority. 

Holy  Week  is  observed  with  great 
solemnity  by  Peruvians  generally,  aud  at 
mid-day  on  the  Thursday  all  trains  and 
coaches  cease  runnino'  and  no  whistlinof 
of  engines  nor  ringing  of  bells  is  per- 
mitted at  the  railwn,}'  stations.  Private 
pianos  and  other  musical  instruments 
remain  untouched,  and  the  inhabitants  of 
Lima  clothe  themselves  in  l)lack  for  the 
occasion.     On   this  day  good  Romanists 


FROM  COLON  TO  LIMA.  63 

are  expected  to  attend  seven  of  the 
church's  services,  where  and  when  they 
please,  and  the  sacred  buildings  with 
draperies  and  flowers  present  a  gorgeous 
look,  particularly  during  the  evening 
illuminations.  In  some  of  them  nuns, 
who  are  seen  l)y  the  outside  world  on 
this  night  only  during  the  year,  chant 
services  behind  the  wooden  bars ;  and 
until  recently  the  Last  Supper  and  the 
"  rending  of  the  vail  "  took  place  in  Santo 
Domino'o  or  some  other  church.  The  abuse 
of  the  former  by  the  priests  led  to  its 
abolition.  At  nine  a.m.  on  Saturday  all 
mourning  ceases,  for  Peruvians  forestall 
events,  and  the  return  to  activity  and 
bustle  is  begun  by  the  pealing  of  church 
bells. 

Hats    and    bonnets    are    strictly   pro- 
hibited in  all  the  churches  at  all  times  ; 


64  TWELVE  MONTHS  IX  PERU. 

and  however  careful  the  stranger  may  be 
in  conforming  to  established  rules,  he  or 
she  is  soon  detected  by  some  watchful 
eye,  I  remember  visiting  the  Cathedral 
one  mornino;  soon  after  our  arrival  and 
finding  a  priest  attended  by  two  acolytes 
standing  at  the  altar,  and  murmuring 
some  prayers.  Anxious  not  to  disturb 
the  worshippers,  we  quietly  crept  down 
the  side  aisle,  and  were  engaged  in 
examining  the  pillars,  when  one  of  the 
acolytes,  whom  we  imagined  too  devoutly 
praying  to  notice  our  entrance,  touched 
us  on  the  arms  and  beo^g-ed  for  alms. 

Lima  supports  many  hospitals,  chiefly 
by  the  sale  of  lotter}^  tickets  ;  and  at  the 
Franciscan  Monastery  of  Descalzos  much 
charitable  work  is  done  by  the  friars, 
who  wear  a  long,  coarse,  greyish  coat  with 
hood,  and  sandals.     Daily,  at  a    certain 


FROM  COLON  TO  LIMA.  65 

hour,  food  is  dispensed  to  the  needy  at  a 
postern  gate,  and  the  charities  and  good 
offices  of  the  friars  extend  far  into  the 
interior  of  Peru  as  well.  They  usually 
travel  in  couples,  an  old  and  a  young  one 
together,  and  rarely  leave  the  monastery 
except  on  missions  of  mercy. 

On  the  Sunday,  Monday,  and  Tuesday 
before  Lent  a  Carnival  is  observed  in 
Lima,  when  all  who  are  bold  enough  to 
walk  the  streets  must  expect  to  be  deluged 
with  w^ater  from  the  balconies  above. 
Chisgetes,  or  scent-squirts,  too,  are  freely 
used  by  thcjse  who  play ;  and  when  the 
wretched  victim  has  been  soaked  with 
these,  tiny  coloured  squares  of  paper 
mixed  with  powder  are  thrown  upon  the 
hair,  and  cause  an  infinite  amount  of 
pains  to  extricate. 

The  watering-places  of  Miraflores,  Bar- 


66  TWELVE  MONTHS  IN  PERU. 

niiico,  and  Chorrillos  are  all  connected 
with  the  capital  by  rail,  and  possess  some 
good  and  picturesque-looking  ranchos. 
Here  many  of  the  business  people  of  Lima 
have  private  residences,  and  previous 
to  the  war  they  were  doubtless  gay  and 
thickly  populated  suburbs,  but  now,  more 
or  less,  show  signs  of  the  enemy's 
desolating  course. 

Around  these  three  ^'illages  the  chief 
incidents  of  the  w^ar  with  Chili  took  place. 
At  5  A.M.,  on  that  memorable  13th  of  Jan- 
uary 1881,  firing  commenced  around  the 
Morro  Solar  defence,  and  at  2  p.m. 
Chorrillos    was    in    flames,    foreiofn    and 

^  CD 

neutral  flags  torn  down,  the  British 
Minister's  house,  the  church  and  other 
})ublic  buildings,  levelled  w^ith  the  ground, 
and  the  Military  College  converted  into 
a   hospital  for  the  w^ounded    conquerors. 


FROM  COLON  TO  LIMA.  67 

Barranco  suffered  almost  as  mucli,  and  at 
2.45  P.M.  on  the  16th,  fi  oh  ting;  com- 
menced  near  Miraflores,  and  was  continued 
with  unabated  fury  until  6.45  p.m.,  when 
this  village  also  was  in  flames,  and  an 
overwhelming  number  of  soldiers,  mer- 
chants, students,  and  mechanics  lay  dead 
around  the  defence,  and  amidst  the 
ruined  houses.  In  the  two  eng-ag-ements 
6000  Peruvians  are  said  to  have  been 
killed,  and  3000  wounded,  while  the 
Chilian  loss  is  estimated  at  1300  killed 
and  4144  wounded. 

Lima  would  have  suffered  the  same  sad 
fate  as  Chorrillos  and  Miraflores  had  it 
not  been  for  the  stout  resistance  made  by 
the  English  Minister,  Sir  Spencer  St. 
John,  and  the  material  aid  afforded  by  the 
English  and  French  Adit-irals ;  while  it, 
was  due  to  the  united  efforts  of.thfe  ibrsign 


68  TWELVE  MONTHS  IN  PERU. 

volunteers  that  the  city  was  not  sacked 
on  the  nio;ht  of  that  disastrous  16th. 
On  the  following  day  it  was  formally 
surrendered  by  the  municipal  Alcalde, 
and  General  Baquedano  established  him- 
self in  the  Palace,  but  a  Provisional 
Government  was  afterwards  formed  under 
Francisco  Garcia  Calderon,  a  lawyer  of 
Arequipa. 

It  surely  is  a  matter  of  congratulation 
to  us,  as  a  nation,  that  some  of  our  own 
countrymen  have  been  instrumental  in 
freeing  Peru  from  her  oppressors.  Her 
freedom  from  Spain  was  to  a  great  extent 
due  to  the  exertions  of  Admiral  Cochrane 
(Lord  Dundonald)  and  his  gallant  English 
officers ;  and  during  the  late  war  with 
Ghjli,  .the.^jiglish,  American,  and  other 
foreign  residents*  were  eminently  distin- 
gij.isiied.  foi'  their  ready  help  in  fighting 


FROM  COLON  TO  LIMA.  69 

the  invaders.  Some  of  the  most  impor- 
tant business  houses,  too,  are  in  the  hands 
of  Englishmen  and  Americans,  and  the 
export  trade,  which  is  extensive,  is  prin- 
cipally with  England. 

Owing  to  the  lack  of  moisture,  few 
things  grow  well  near  the  coast,  but  in 
the  occasional  fertile  valleys  the  sugar 
cane  and  cotton  plant  abound.  Agricul- 
ture is,  however,  in  a  backward  state,  and 
oxen  are  still  used  to  draw  the  plough ; 
but  the  manufacture  of  j^orichos  (rugs 
having;  a  hole  in  the  centre  for  the  head 
to  go  through,  and  much  worn  by 
dwellers  in  the  mountains  and  others), 
blankets,  mats,  and  hufandas  (vicuna 
shawls),  as  well  as  exquisite  filigree  work, 
employs  large  numbers  in  the  interior. 
The  mining  resources  are  extensive,  and 
Peru  exports  bar  silver,  copper,  tin,  lead, 


70  TWELVE  MONTHS  IN  PERU. 

some  gold,  guano,  nitrates  of  soda  and 
borax,  wool,  sugar,  alpaca,  cotton,  hides, 
Peruvian  bark,  coca,  etc. 

Statistics  are  tedious,  and  shall  be 
avoided,  but  the  value  of  the  guano  and 
saltpetre  deposits  may  be  gathered  from 
the  fact  that  in  1875  Peru  exported  to 
foreign  countries  378,687  tons  of  guano, 
and  in  1878  269,327  tons  of  nitrate  of 
soda  left  tlie  ports  of  Tarapaca,  What 
wonder  that  the  Chilians  coveted  the 
provinces  possessing  both !  They  are 
found  where  no  rain  falls  ;  and  as  every 
drop  of  moisture  is  extracted  from  the 
Atlantic  winds  when  they  reach  the 
snowy  summit  of  the  Andes,  the  dry 
Pacific  coast  is  well  suited  for  both 
deposits. 

The  word  "  o-uano "  takes  its  name 
from     the     huana,    immense     flocks    of 


FKOM  COLON  TO  LIMA.  71 

which  frequent  the  Chincha  and  Guanapa 
Ishmds  and  tlie  coast  of  Tarapaca,  and 
produce  the  vahiable  manure.  They  are 
sea-birds  with  hhxck  plumage,  and  about 
the  size  of  gulls.  Each  nest  contains  a 
fledged  bird,  an  unfledged  one,  and  an 
egg,  and  they  breed  throughout  the  year. 
The  discovery  by  the  Spaniards  of  the 
invaluable  cinchona  or  Peruvian  bark 
was  accidental  and  remarkable.  Tradition 
says  that  when  one  of  the  early  con- 
querors fell  sick  with  fever  (terceanus), 
an  Indian  girl  in  love  with  him  was 
discovered  mixing  a  powder  with  his 
medicine.  As  she  persistently  refused 
to  reveal  its  virtues,  the  Spaniards 
thought  that  she  sought  to  poison  their 
countryman,  and  threatened  her  wdtli 
torture,  whereupon  she  confessed  to  the 
bark's  curative  properties,  and  inadvert- 


72  TWELVE  MONTHS  IN  PERU. 

ently  conferred  a  lasting  boon  upon 
humanity  at  large  in  this  new  febrifuge. 

Both  Peru  and  Bolivia  export  large 
quantities  of  "the  bark  of  barks,"  and 
plantations  of  it  are  found  as  high  as 
6000  feet  above  the  sea.  The  tree, 
which  belongs  to  the  same  order  as  the 
coffee  plant,  resembles  the  beech  in 
general  appearance,  and  its  white  wood 
is  capable  of  being  highly  polished.  Over 
3,000,000  pounds  of  bark  are  shipped 
annually  to  England  alone,  and  each  tree 
at  six  years  of  age  yields  from  five  to 
six  pounds. 

An  abundance  of  tropical  fruit  stocks 
the  Lima  market  and  the  stalls  of 
itinerant  vendors,  such  as  the  delicious 
chirimoya,  the  granadilla  or  passion  fruit, 
pine  apjile,  banana,  fig,  quince,  pome- 
granate,   guava,    palta,    tuna,    or    cactus 


FROM  COLON  TO  LIMA.  73 

fruit,  orange,  lime,  lemon,  peacli,  etc., 
but  most  of  it  comes  from  the  interior 
or  from  Guayaquil.  The  yellow,  sweet, 
and  a  variety  of  other  potatoes,  the 
yucca,  Indian  corn,  and  beans  grow  near 
the  coast,  and  are  largely  consumed. 

Most  of  the  native  dishes  are  tasty  and 
jpicante ;  and  amongst  them  I  may  name 
a  soup  called  cliupe,  made  by  boiling  fish, 
cheese,  eggs,  and  potatoes  together,  and 
seviche,  fish  cooked  in  lemon  or  sour 
orange  juice,  and  strongly  flavoured  with 
aji  (pepper).  Cancha,  or  Indian  corn 
roasted,  is  generally  eaten  with  this  dish, 
and  chicha  accompanies  it.  This  bever- 
age, usually  made  with  maize,  somewhat 
resembles  cider  in  taste,  and  seems  to 
have  been  a  royal  luxury  in  the  days  of 
Atahualpa ;  for  we  read  that  when 
Hernando  Pizarro    and   De   Soto  visited 


74  TWELVE  MONTHS  IN  PERU. 

the  monarch,  they  gratefully  quaffed  the 
chicha  presented  to  them  by  the  bewitch- 
ing beauties  of  the  harem.  Olla  podrida, 
or  puchero,  is  another  favourite  dish,  and 
consists  of  meat  mixed  with  sweet  potato, 
almost  any  vegetables,  rice  and  cassava 
root  boiled  together.  Of  dulces  those 
under  the  generic  name  of  masamorra, 
a  sweet  farinaceous  mixture,  compotes, 
and  small  pastries  are  most  in  favour. 

Smoking  is  much  indulged  in  by  Peru- 
vian men,  and  at  the  hotel  dinner  tables 
during  coffee,  in  the  trains,  and  almost 
everywhere  they  may  be  seen  twirling 
their  cigarettes  ;  so  that,  in  order  to  live 
with  any  degree  of  comfort  in  this  land 
of  smokers,  one's  strongest  objections 
must  be  overcome. 

The  valley  of  Pisco  and  many  other 
districts    are    noted   for   vineyards,     and 


FROM  COLON  TO  LIMA.  75 

the  spirit  called  Italia,  and  the  wines 
of  Moquegua  and  Ilo  are  much  es- 
teemed. 

Neither  gold  coinage  nor  paper  money 
has  currency  at  the  present  day,  and 
the  clumsy  silver  sol  possesses  the  highest 
value.  It  varies  with  the  price  of  silver, 
from  2s.  9d.  to  3s.  6d.  of  our  money,  and 
is  rather  larger  than  a  half-crown  piece. 
The  j^eseto  is  a  fifth  of  a  sol,  and  a  cent 
is  the  lowest  coin.  The  depreciation  of 
paper  money,  occasioned  by  the  Chilian 
war,  reduced  many  previously  wealthy 
families  to  poverty,  and  notes  that  for- 
merly represented  large  fortunes  now 
became  waste  jiaper. 

Lima  with  its  population  of  130,000 
embraces  Peruvians,  Spaniards.  Indians, 
Negroes,  Half-castes,  including  Sambos, 
or  one  parent  black  and  the  other  mulatto ; 


76  TWELVE  MONTHS  IX  PERU. 

Chinos,  one  parent  black  and  the  other 
Lillian  ;  Mestisos,  one  parent  white  and 
the  other  Indian ;  and  Mulattos,  one 
parent  white  and  the  other  negro, 
Italians,  Frsnchmen,  Germans,  English- 
men, Americans,  and  Chinamen  ;  but  all 
live  in  apparent  unity,  and  the  political 
riots  at  Presidential  elections  now  form 
the  greatest  drawback  to  the  country's 
peace  and  progress. 

On  the  retirement  of  Don  Andres 
Avelina  Caceres  in  1890,  Dr  Rosas,  Don 
Nicholas  de  Pierola,  and  Colonel  Remjio 
Morales  Bermudez  came  forward  as 
candidates  for  the  office  of  President,  a 
contest  that  resulted  in  the  election  of 
Colonel  Bermudez  in  xApril  and  his 
installation  a  few  months  later. 

Pierola  had  been  proclaimed  Supreme 
Chief  of  the  Republic  during  the  Chilian 


FROM  COLON  TO  LIMA.  11 

war,  and  greatly  distinguished  himself 
in  the  battles  of  Chorrillos  and  Miraflores  ; 
but  some  old  charges  were  brought  up 
against  him  when  he  appeared  as  a 
candidate  for  power  in  April  1890,  and 
he  was  moreover  accused  of  introducino; 
insurrectionary  troops  into  the  city,  which 
led  to  his  arrest  by  command  of  Presi- 
dent Caceres  and  confinement  in  the 
Intendencia  until  the  election  was  over. 
Great  was  my  surprise  on  reaching  Lima 
from  Barranco  on  Easter  mornino-  to 
hear  of  Pierola's  imprisonment.  He 
married  a  grand-daughter  of  Agustin 
Iturbide,  the  unfortunate  Emperor  of 
Mexico,  and  is  described  as  pleasing  in 
appearance,  and  possessed  of  a  clear 
intellect,  a  vivacious  manner,  and  great 
tenacity  of  purpose. 

Four  years  is  the  President's  term  of 


78  TWELVE  MONTHS  IN  PERU. 

office,  and  lie  cannot  be  re-elected  until 
the  same  number  of  years  have  elapsed. 
In  the  Executive  he  is  assisted  by 
a  Vice-President  and  responsible  min- 
isters, and  the  Constitution  itself  is  com- 
posed of  three  independent  bodies — the 
executive,  legislative,  and  judicial  corps. 
All  Peruvians  have  a  vote,  and  norriinally 
the  nation  at  large  elects  the  President ; 
but  actually  the  provincial  deputies 
name  the  electors,  and  these  the  President. 

The  nineteen  departments  are  ruled  by 
prefects,  and  the  provinces  \yitliin  them 
by  sub-prefects,  all  of  whom  are  chosen 
by  the  President.  Complaints  against  the 
Government  are  settled  by  the  Supreme 
Court  of  Justice,  and  an  Alcalde  or 
Mayor  elected  by  the  public  from  in- 
fluential classes  controls  all  local  affairs. 

The   total  area  of  the  country  covers 


FROM  COLON  TO  LIMA.  79 

500,000  square  miles,  and  at  the  last 
census  in  1876  the  population  was 
estimated  at  2,970,000.  The  regular 
army  now  consists  of  5000  men,  and  the 
navy  exists  in  name  alone.  British 
interests  in  Peru  are  represented  by 
Colonel  Sir  Charles  Mansfield,  K.C.M.G. 
(1890),  and  those  of  the  United  States 
by  Mr  Hicks. 

The  Lima  jDobcemen  struck  me  as  a 
class  worthy  of  special  notice.  They  are 
clothed  somewhat  like  the  soldiers,  are 
seldom  seen  to  interfere  when  a  breach  of 
the  law  takes  place,  and  at  every  half 
hour  during  the  night  are  obliged  to  Ijlow 
a  whistle  to  convince  the  publi(i  that  they 
nre  awake,  and  mav  be  found  if  wanted. 

Amongst  the  scientific  and  remarkable 
men  who  have  shed  a  lustre  on  the 
Peruvian  nation,  I  would  name  Paz  Soldan 


80  TWELVE  MONTHS  IN  PERU. 

and  Antouia  Raimondi,  geographers ; 
Sebastian  Lorente,  historian ;  Ricardo 
Palma,  historian  and  novelist ;  Laso  and 
Montero,  painters;  Luis  Medina,  sculptor; 
Melgar.  Althaus,  and  Marquez,  poets  ;  and 
Mariano  Eduardo  Kivero,  mineralogist 
and  director-general  of  mines.  Universi- 
ties, state  colleges  for  boys  and  girls, 
military  and  naval  institutions,  and 
schools  of  mines  now  exist  in  Peru, 
and  bespeak  the  nation's  educational 
desires. 


II. 
3n  tbe  Sierra* 


CHAPTER  I. 

Since  the  Chilian  war,  for  all  recent 
mundane  Peruvian  affairs  seem  to  date 
from  that  catastrophe,  the  boundaries  of 
the  country  may  be  said  to  extend  from 
r  to  19°  S.,  and  from  68°  to  81°  W., 
the  river  Camerones  forming  her  south- 
ern boundary  in  accordance  with  the 
terms  of  the  treaty  of  Ancon  in  1883. 
Lima  lies  in  the  12th  parallel.  The 
Republic  is  bounded  on  the  north  by 
Ecuador,  on  the  south  by  Chili,  on  the 
east  by  the  Brazils  and  Bolivia,  and  on 
the  west  by  the  Pacific  Ocean ;  while  the 
Andes,  a  continuation  of  the  Rocky 
Mountains  of  North  America,  traverse  it 

CO 

0-j  n 


84  TWELVE  MONTHS  IN  PERU. 

from  N.E.  to  S.W.,  and  divide  the  country 
into  three  distinct  regions — the  Coast,  the 
Puna  or  Sierra,  and  the  Montana. 

The  arid  coast  line  I  have  ah^eady 
noticed,  and  the  montana,  or  forest  hand, 
which  inchides  that  almost  limitless,  and 
to  a  great  extent,  undeveloped  country 
watered  by  the  Amazon  and  Ucayali 
rivers  east  of  the  Cordillera,  where  the 
cinchona  and  caucho  or  india  rubber  trees 
abound,  and  where  cocoa,  coffee,  cotton, 
vanilla,  coca,  and  tobacco  more  especially 
flourish,  is  somewhat  too  vast  for  my 
present  purpose. 

It  is  then  of  a  portion  of  the  Sierra  or 
Central  region,  where  fertile  valleys  occur, 
wdiere  precious  metals  are  found,  and 
where  the  gentle  llama  finds  its  home, 
that  I  will  now  particularly  treat. 
To  quote  the  different  ideas  we  entertained 


IN  THE  SIERRA.  87 

of  this  reoion  before  our  ascent  would 
require  a  tliree-volumed  work  at  least, 
and  the  packing  of  our  clothes,  etc.,  in 
sacks  to  be  conveyed  on  mule-back  was 
as  exciting  as  the  many  other  preparations 
for  the  trip.  In  this  matter  our  chief 
difficulty  generally  lay  in  finding  out  what 
we  should  not  require.  At  one  time  we 
imagined  ourselves  arriving  at  the  summit, 
17,000  feet,  tied  on  our  mules,  and  in  a 
bruised  and  battered  condition,  occasioned 
by  numerous  headlong  journeys  down  the 
precipices,  onl}'  to  die  of  "  sorroche  "  and 
cold ;  at  another,  the  spirit  of  adventure 
filled  up  the  vacuum,  and  a  sharp  encoun- 
ter with  the  Indians  oblio-ed  us  to  flee 
for  our  lives ;  or  again,  the  delightful 
sensation  of  being  borne  on  the  wings  of 
the  wind,  or  the  legs  of  the  mules, 
throush  sunshine  and  snow  into  Nature's 


88  TWELVE  MONTHS  IN  PERU. 

sanctorum  itself,  composed  our  restless 
minds,  and  we  revelled  in  the  thought. 

One  thing  seemed  certain,  and  that 
was  that  in  t]ic  region  whither  we  were 
bound  fleas  could  not  live,  which  after 
our  late  experience  would  lie  much 
appreciated. 

But  our  reception  in  the  metropolis 
had  been  as  cordial  as  the  most  fastidious 
could  desire,  and  its  many  attractions 
were  hard  to  leave  for  so  indefinite  and 
vague  a  trip ;  yet  even  these  must  be 
forsaken  for  a  while,  as  we  wing  our 
upward  flight. 

Leaving  the  Desamparados  station  by 
the  great  Oroya  railroad  early  one  morn- 
ing in  September,  and  having  a  mining 
hacienda  in  the  department  of  Junin, 
and  not  far  from  the  town  of  Yauli  as 
our  destination,  we  threaded  the  valley 


IN  THE  SIERRA.  89 

of  the  once  sacred  Rimac,  and  in  a  couple 
of  hours  arrived  at  the  health-giving 
village  of  Chosica,  2832  feet  above  the 
waters  of  the  Pacific.  Here  a  halt  was 
made,  and  for  several  weeks  w^e  scoured 
the  country  on  horseback  and  on  foot  at 
will,  often  climbing  such  rocky  staircases 
that  no  animals  but  chuscos  and  mules 
born  and  bred  to  the  work  would  have 
attempted.  The  bright,  sunshiny  weather, 
more  bracing  climate,  and  glorious  sun- 
sets rejoice  us  greatly  after  Lima's 
wintry  gloom  ;  but  the  bare  and  rocky 
heights  around  where  only  cacti  flourish 
look  dreary  and  forbidding,  and  the  many 
gaUinasos  or  turkey  buzzards  depress  us 
with  their  melancholy  look.  These  huge 
black  birds  are  general  scavengers,  and 
in  former  days  he  who  dared  shoot  one 
was  subjected  thereby  to  five  soles'  pen- 


90  TWELVE  MONTHS  IN  PERU. 

alty.  Tliey  are  still  treated  with  respect 
as  inexpensive  workmen,  and  are  rarely 
destroyed. 

Chosica  is  a  favourite  resort  for  those 
afflicted  with  pulmonary  complaints,  and 
our  healthy  appearance,  good  ajDpetite,  and 
general  energy  are  quite  abnormal  here. 
Indeed,  when  the  question  arose  as  to 
which  was  the  invalid  of  the  party,  our 
consciences  sorely  smote  us  for  enjoying 
such  perfect  health  when  all  around  w^ere 
sick.  The  princijDal  hotel  is  at  the  station, 
and  great  is  the  excitement  of  its  inmates 
when  the  bi-weekly  trains  arrive  to  and 
from  the  interior  and  Lima.  A  general 
rush  is  made  from  every  part  of  the  build- 
ing, invalids  revive,  sleepers  awake,  and 
many  and  wonderful  are  the  greetings 
and  embraces  exchanged,  for  in  this 
friendly  district  everybody  is  the  partic- 


IN  THE  SIERRA.  91 

ular  friend  of  everybody  else.  Embracing 
and  patting  first  one  shoulder  and  then 
the  other  is  a  i^reat  feature  in  Peruvian 
greetings,  both  amongst  men  and  women, 
and  it  always  surprised  me  that  there 
was  no  confusion  of  arms  on  these  occa- 
sions. I  tried  it  once  or  twice,  but  got 
hopelessly  entangled,  and  appeared  to  be 
fio-htino-  through  usins;  the  wrons;  arm 
first ! 

On  Sundays,  too,  a  pleasure  train  leaves 
Lima  for  Chosica,  laden  with  passengers 
eao;er  to  breathe  the  invigorating;  mountain 
air,  if  only  for  a  few  short  hours,  and 
returns  the  same  evenino;. 

During;  the  enervating;  wdnter  season 
on  the  coast  the  hotel  is  generally  well 
patronised,  and  with  walking,  riding, 
dancing,  and  cards,  some  pleasant  days 
may  be  spent  here. 


92  TWELVE  MONTHS  IN  PERU. 

Many  varieties  of  the  cactus  shrub 
bristle  amongst  the  surrounding  rocks, 
and  in  the  valleys  the  banana,  palta,  and 
granadilla  fruits,  the  castor-oil  plant, 
acacia,  wild  pepper,  datura,  called  Jiori- 
■pondio,  with  large,  white,  bell-shaped 
blossoms  and  powerful  scent  especially 
at  dusk,  the  cheerful  looking  broom, 
hibiscus,  and  blue-green  eucalyptus  flour- 
ish. 

But  our  three  weeks'  sojourn  is  dra wing- 
to  a  close,  and  once  more  we  seat  our- 
selves in  an  American  car  on  the  Oroya 
line,  and  journey  on  to  San  Bartolome, 
fifty  miles  from  Lima,  and  4949  feet 
above  the  ocean  level.  Here,  funny 
little  cane  huts,  llamas,  and  an  abund- 
ance of  tropical  fruits  dispensed  by 
Indian  men  and  women  invite  our 
curiosity,    and    here,    too,    our    railroad 


IN  THE  SIEERA.  93 

journey  ends,  owing  to  many  parts  of 
tlie  line  further  on  having  been  washed 
away  by  mountain  floods  in  February 
1889.  But  the  foresight  of  our  kind 
and  worthy  escort  has  furnislied  us  with 
surefooted  mountain  mules  —  animals 
similar  to  those  described  by  Prescott 
as  having  been  created  for  the  Cordillera 
— for  further  transit,  and  on  these  we 
scale  the  mountain  paths  to  Verrugas 
Bridoje,  where  the  heat  is  almost  stiflins;. 
But  the  steep  ascent  in  one  place  obliged 
us  to  dismount  and  crawl  on  hands  and 
feet,  for  which  w^e  were  rewarded  by 
being  able  to  pluck  some  exquisite 
blossoms  from  the  heliotrope  trees 
around.  A  disease  called  "verrugas," 
which  appears  in  the  form  of  immense 
warts  on  the  face  and  body,  and  occasions 
much    internal    pain,     prevails    in    this 


94  TWELVE  MONTHS  IN  PERU, 

locality,  and  is  attributed  by  some 
authorities  to  the  turnins;  over  of  fresh 
soil,  and  by  others  to  injurious  properties 
in  the  water  of  the  neighbourhood.  Be 
that  as  it  may,  the  disease  is  difficult  to 
cure ;  and  if  not  brought  out  of  the 
system  on  to  the  surface  of  the  body  by 
perspiration,  generally  proves  fatal.  It 
may  frequently  be  seen  disfiguring  the 
faces  of  the  workmen  here,  and  during 
the  erection  of  the  bridge  as  many 
as  eighteen  daily  are  said  to  have 
succumbed  to  it.  Most  passers  through 
are  careful  in  the  matter  of  drinkins; 
water,  and  take  only  that  which  has  been 
boiled. 

Verrugas  Bridge,  composed  of  wrought- 
iron  columns,  is  considered  one  of  the 
Q-reatest  feats  of  eno-ineerino;  skill.  It 
spans  a  chasm  of  580  feet,  and  formerly 


IN  THE  SIERRA.  97 

rested  upon  three  piers  at  a  height  of 
252  feet  above  the  abyss.  The  centre 
pier  was,  however,  completely  destroyed 
by  the  February  floods;  and  now^  (1890) 
when  the  line  is  re-opened  as  far  as 
Cliicla,  passengers  are  conveyed  from  one 
side  of  the  bridge  to  the  other  in  a 
little  open  car,  suspended  by  chains 
over  the  yawning  chasm.  Fhoenixville, 
U.S.A.,  had  the  honour  of  engineerins^ 
the  stupendous  work,  and  its  cost  was 
estimated  at  63,000  dollars.  But  this 
has  recently  been  superseded  by  a  new 
bridge,  which  we  met  on  our  return 
journey  through  Panama,  and  which 
doubtless  makes  a  pleasanter  and  more 
convenient  mode  of  transit  than  the 
temporary  car,  which  occasioned  so  much 
delay  while  waiting  for  trains  on  either 
side,  to  say  nothing  of  the  shock  to  one's 


98  TWELVE  MONTHS  IX  PERU. 

nerves  during  those  thirty-seven  seconds 
of  suspension  ! 

Still  pursuing  our  novel  expedition  on 
mule-back,  sometimes  by  the  railroad 
track  and  tlirou2;h  tunnels  in  the  solid 
rock,  past  deserted  Indian  villages,  mag- 
nificent canons  and  waterfalls,  the 
lonely  j^easant's  hut  clinging  to  the  sides 
of  the  mountains,  and  remains  of  Inca 
terraced  gardens ;  up  steep  and  narrow 
paths  beside  the  restless  river,  through 
the  village  of  Surco,  where  we  paused 
for  tea,  and  on  to  JMatucana  as  the 
fast  approaching  twilight  sinks  into 
blackest  night.  Most  gladly  did  we 
here  alio;ht  and  take  our  evenino-  meal 
ere  balmy  sleej)  refreshed  our  weary 
frames.  The  hotel  accommodation  is 
open  to  improvement,  it  is  true,  but  the 
kindness  and  attention  of  mine  host  and 


IN  THE  SIERRA.  99 

hostess  at  the  hotel  "  Matucana"  were  most 
grateful,  and  the  warm  yet  bracing  air, 
and  ferns  and  flowers  of  the  neighbour- 
hood, make  the  village  well  worthy  of  a 
few  days'  rest. 

Besides,  when  about  to  ascend  still 
hio;her  into  the  Cordillera  for  the  first 
time,  it  is  well  to  pause  here  for  a  space 
and  accustom  oneself  to  the  rarefied  air 
of  the  altitude.  Matucana  stands  at 
7788  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea,  and 
the  inevitable  j;?«2.'a,  fountain,  church, 
and  schools  are  to  be  found  there.  A 
few  shops,  containing  the  absolute  neces- 
sities of  life,  an  acequia,  or  running 
stream,  coursing  its  way  through  the 
principal  street,  and  an  adjacent  cemetery 
are  other  objects  of  interest ;  while  the 
golden,  silver,  maiden-hair,  and  other 
rare     and     exquisite     ferns,     heliotrope 


100  TWELVE  MONTHS  IN  PERU. 

bushes,  and  a  variety  of  bright-coloured 
flowers  enhance  the  beauty  of  the  neigh- 
hood.  On  account  of  its  bracing;  climate 
Matucana  is  much  frequented  by  invalids, 
althouo;li  at  the  time  of  our  first  visit  there 
it  was  a  difficult  matter  for  them  to 
accomplish  the  journey  from  San  Barto- 
lome  otherwise  than  in  a  litter. 

In  the  fertile  valleys  of  the  Rimac 
lucerne  or  alfalfa  is  extensively  grown 
as  food  for  cattle,  and  the  primitive  mode 
of  turning  the  soil  by  the  aid  of  oxen 
yoked  to  a  plough  reminded  me  most 
forcibly  of  those  highly  coloured  Biblical 
pictures  of  nursery  notoriety. 

Once  more  setting  out  on  our  faithful 
beasts  and  following  the  course  of  the 
rapid  stream,  which  receives  its  name 
Kimac  from  the  idol  of  oracular  fame, 
the  next  obstruction  was  at  Viso  Bridge, 


IN  THE  SIERRA.  101 

then  under  rejDair,  and  presenting  serious 
difficulties  to  mules  and  riders.  Finally, 
tlie  animals  were  induced  to  descend  tlie 
almost  perpendicular  bank  alone,  and 
flounder  through  the  river,  when  we 
quickly  followed,  and  remounting,  pur- 
sued our  way  up  rugged  zigzag  paths, 
along  the  railroad  track,  or  across  the 
boiling  river  on  slender  osier  bridges  to 
San  Mateo,  where  we  breakfasted  at  the 
most  unsavoury  looking  Chinese  restaur- 
ant it  has  ever  been  my  lot  to  enter. 

These  hanging  osier  bridges  are  frequent 
in  the  Cordillera,  and  are  constructed  of 
osier  withes  twisted  into  strong;  cables 
and  attached  to  blocks  of  masonry,  or  to  the 
natural  rock,  on  either  side  of  the  stream  ; 
Avhile  across  the  cables  planks  are  laid, 
and  a  passage  thus  afforded  on  a  swinging 
bridge,  sometimes  hundreds  of  feet  above 


102  TWELVE  MONTHS  IX  PERU. 

the  abyss,  although  happily  we  were  not 
called  "upon  to  attempt  such  lofty  ones. 
The  animals,  as  a  rule,  dislike  them 
extremely,  and  can  scarcely  be  induced  to 
lead  the  way. 

We  were  now  at  a  height  of  10,527 
feet,  and  on  quitting  San  Mateo  our 
ascent  became  even  more  precipitous. 
At  several  hundred  feet  below  the 
surging  Rimac  rolled  with  deafening 
roar  over  the  giant  boulders ;  and  from 
our  gidd}'  heights  where  riding  habits 
literally  overhung  the  edges  of  the 
chasms,  and  where  one  false  step  would 
hurl  us  into  the  terrible  abyss,  we  gazed 
with  awe  ujDon  the  grandeur  of  the  scene. 
The  magnitude  of  our  surroundings,  the 
mountain  torrent  dashino-  from  above, 
and  surmounting  every  obstacle  in  its 
anxiety  to   join   the    mighty  ocean,   the 


IN  THE  SIERRA.  103 

height,  the  depth,  were  awe-inspiring 
indeed,  and  they  are  scenes  that  time 
can  ne'er  etface. 

The  Rimac,  the  one  who  speaks,  is 
surely  a  fitting  name  for  this  impatient, 
headstrong  river ;  and  were  its  language 
but  intelligible  to  mortal  ears,  what  tales 
of  buried  ao;es  should  we  hear !  But 
Puente  del  Infiernillo,  rightly  called 
the  "  Gate  of  Hell,"  lies  just  ahead,  and 
here  another  stony  staircase  must  be 
climbed,  where  projecting  rocks  on  one 
side  of  our  narrow  pathway  and  a  boiling- 
river  on  the  other  demand  our  care  as 
well  as  admiration ;  while  overhead  an 
airy-looking  iron  bridge  passes  from 
tunnel  to  tunnel  on  the  Oroya  line, 
and  seems  as  though  suspended  from  the 
clouds. 

Still    ruminating    on   the   grandeur  of 

H 


104  TWELVE  MONTHS  IN  PERU. 

the  scene,  we  jog  along  the  track  a  while, 
and  then  ascend  the  mountain  path  to 
Chicla  ere  the  daylight  dies ;  and  pre- 
sently as  dinner  is  discussed,  with  merry 
laugh  and  jest,  we  note  the  joys  and 
perils  of  the  day,  and  then  retire  to  court 
our  well-earned  rest,  accompanied  by 
sorvoche,  for  Cliicla  at  12,220  feet  has 
many  drawbacks  too,  and  generally  the 
altitude  is  first  felt  here.  A  headache 
with  a  weighty  feeling  on  the  brow, 
vomiting,  and  breathlessness  are  the 
usual  symptoms  of  sorroche,  although  in 
its  severer  forms  it  causes  fainting  fits 
and  bleeding  at  the  nose  and  ears.  Stout 
people,  as  a  nde,  succumb  most  readily 
to  its  attacks,  and  garlic  and  patience 
are  the  best  known  remedies  for  all.  At  a 
height  of  say  14,000  feet  the  air  contains 
sixty  per  cent,  less  oxygen  than  on  the 


IN  THE  SIERRA.  105 

coast,  and  consequently  the  lungs  expand 
and  have  to  perform  forty  per  cent,  more 
work  in  order  to  obtain  the  same  result. 
During  the  exj)anding  process  sorrocJie, 
or  the  difficulty  of  breathing  at  high 
altitudes,  occurs  ;  luit  after  the  lapse  of 
a  few  days  the  general  health  is,  as  a 
rule,  better  in  the  mountains  than  on 
the  coast,  although  it  is  never  possible 
to  undertake  much  physical  exertion 
there,  unless  one  chances  to  be  Sierra 
born  and  bred. 

A  rigid  clime  envelopes  Chicla,  and 
during  my  four  visits  there  heavy  rain 
fell  daily  from  about  2  p.m.  upon  the 
snow-clad  heio;lits  around.  From  our 
Transandean  hostel  we  look  down  on  the 
present  terminus  of  the  Oroya  railroad, 
a,nd  in  the  valley  on  the  right  the  town 
of    Chicla,    with     its     long    street    and 


lOG        T^yELVE  months  ix  peru. 

cliurcli,  is  seen.  Our  one-storied  dwell- 
ing lias  its  bedrooms  in  a  long,  low 
building  close  at  hand,  and  only  slightly 
guarded  from  the  outside  cold  by  a 
narrow  balcony.  Under  this  slender 
shelter  Cliolo  Indians  often  creep  at 
night  time  for  repose,  and  on  one  occa- 
sion it  was  my  misfortune  to  stumble 
over  one  when  groping  for  the  handle 
of  my  door.  He  did  not  grumble  at 
the  mishap,  it  is  true,  l)ut  at  that  time 
I  was  unacquainted  with  the  gentle 
nature  of  the  race,  and  hastened  on 
without  apology. 

Between  San  Bartolome  and  Cliicla 
many  brilliantly  plumaged  birds,  lovely 
ferns,  and  brio-ht  coloured  flowers,  such 
as  the  scarlet  anemone,  calceolaria,  nas- 
turtium, heliotrope,  lupin,  etc.,  are  notice- 
able,   to    say  nothing   of   the    numerous 


IN  THE  SIERRA.  107 

and  gigantic  cacti  with  l^looms  of  yellow, 
white,  and  red. 

At  various  awkward  turns  in  zigzag 
paths  our  free  passage  was  many  a  time  and 
oft  oljstructed  b}^  llamas  bearing  ore  and 
ha  vino;  leaders  dressed  in  blue  or  scarlet 
caps  and  bells,  or  by  mules  and  donkeys 
laden  with  eggs,  vermicelli,  minerals,  or 
other  cargoes  from  the  interior,  and  then 
it  was  a  matter  of  some  moment  to  seize 
upon  the  surest  foothold,  regardless  of 
all  ceremony.  Projecting  rocks  present 
a  difficulty  too,  and  an  unnoticed  one 
would  (juickly  hurl  tlie  rider  into  an 
abyss. 

But  the  most  perilous,  if  not  the  most 
tedious,  part  of  the  journey  was  now 
accomplished,  and  dangers  quickly  faded 
from  the  mind  as  we  dwelt  upon  tlie  true 
mag^niiicence  and  o;randeur  of  the  scene. 


108  TWELVE  MONTHS  IN  PERU. 

Thus  is  it  in  our  life-loug  journey,  time 
smoothes  and  oft  obliterates  our  woes, 
l)ut  sheds  a  loving  halo  round  our  greatest 

joys. 

On  descending  the  Cordillera  some 
months  later  by  rail,  we  noticed  that 
many  little  paths  along  which  we  threaded 
the  river's  Ijank  had  been  completely 
washed  away  by  recent  floods. 


CHAPTER  11. 

Having  now  attained  the  present  termina- 
tion of  the  raih'oad,  I  shouki  like  to  dwell 
for  a  few  brief  moments  on  that 
stupendous  undertaking.  It  was  the 
creation  of  American  genius,  and  was 
superintended  by  Mr  Meiggs,  assisted  by 
Mr  Cilley,  whose  death  occurred,  and  was 
much  regretted,  during  our  stay  in  the 
Peruvian  capital.  The  railroad  was 
l;)eoun  in  1870  and  finished  as  far  as 
Chicla  in  1876,  at  a  cost  of  £625,887  ;  and 
in  contemplating  the  work  the  beholder 
cannot  fail  to  be  struck  with  some  at  least 
of  the  difficulties  incurred  in  boring 
through  such  solid  rocks. 

109 


110  TWELVE  MONTHS  IX  PERU. 

More  than  sixty  tunnels  have  already 
been  cut,  and  the  American,  French,  and 
English  bridges,  which  sometimes  look  as 
though  suspended  in  the  air,  are  made  of 
stone  and  iron.  From  the  coast  to 
Chicla  is  one  continued  ascent,  and  so 
labyrinthine  is  it  that  occasionally  three 
distinct  railroad  tracks  can  be  seen  at 
once.  Along  the  precipices,  through  the 
flinty  tunnels,  over  the  bridges,  the 
locomotive  switchbacks  up  to  Chicla,  and 
if  it  has  not  alread}'  done  so,  Avill  ere  long 
pass  through  the  Clalera  tunnel  and  reach 
the  summit  rano;e  at  a  height  of  15,732 
feet. 

The  projected  terminus  is  through 
Oroya,  136  miles  from  Callao,  to  Cerro  de 
Pasco,  the  capital  of  Junin,  and  if  not  the 
Grace  Donouo-hmore,  then  surelv  some 
other     contract     will,     after     cancellino; 


IN  THE  SIERRA.  Ill 

exteriitir  debt  accordiuo;  to  the  terms  of 
the  contract  of  October  1889,  connect  it 
with  Amazonian  commerce,  and  facilitate 
the  development  of  this  vast  region's 
wealth  throngii  the  medium  of  Pacific 
waters.  But  progression  travels  slowly  in 
the  country,  and  pacie7icia  and  manana 
(to-morrow)  are  as  potent  with  Peruvians 
as  they  were  in  former  days  at  the  court 
of  Spain,  when  Columbus,  Cortes,  and 
even    Pizarro    all   lino-ered    there    for   a 

o 

recognition  of  their  services. 

Apart  fr(jm  the  ahnost  insuperable 
difficulties  already  alluded  to  in  connection 
with  the  laying  of  the  Oroya  railroad, 
there  were  others  of  a  lamentable  nature, 
and  resulting  in  the  deaths  of  many 
thousands  of  the  workmen.  Fevers, 
verrugas,  and  falling  boulders  sadly  deci- 
mated their  numbers,  and  it  is  estimated 


1  12  TWELVE  MONTHS  IN  PERU. 

that   in  the   erection  of  Verriio;as   Bridoe 
alone  7000  lives  were  lost. 

A  low  hand-car,  drawn  l>y  gravity, 
is  now  despatched  from  Chicla  about 
fifteen  minutes  in  advance  of  the  bi- 
weekly trains  to  clear  the  line  of  fallen 
pieces  of  rock,  that  threaten  to  impede 
its  downward  course.  These  hand- cars 
travel  at  the  rate  of  about  forty-five  miles  an 
hour  down  steep  inclines,  and  round  such 
frequent  curves,  that  cause  the  uninitiated 
many  tightenings  of  the  heart-strings  as 
they  dwell  upon  the  fact  that  a  tiny 
2:)iece  of  rock,  a  skirt  entangled  in  the 
wheels,  a  dog,  a  cow,  or  any  other  animal 
may  at  a  moment's  notice  upset  the  toy 
vehicle,  and  usher  all  its  inmates  down  a 
precipice  and  into  eternity  at  one  stroke  ; 
or  at  any  rate  involve  the  loss  of  a 
cherished  liml),  for  it  is  a  difficult  matter 


IN  THE  SIERRA.  1  1  3 

to  effect  an  instantaneous  stoppage  where 
the  gradient  is  so  steep.  Those  who  are 
accustomed  to  this  mode  of  travelling 
describe  it  as  delightful  in  spite  of 
constant  breathlessness,  and  when  de- 
scending from  Chosica  to  Lima  I  confess 
that  I  found  the  journey  extremely 
pleasant ;  but  here  the  gradient  is  not  so 
steep,  and  the  speed  proportionately  less. 
The  great  essentials  to  safety  and  comfort 
are  a  cautious  and  skilful  driver,  plenty 
of  warm  clothing  tightly  tucked  in,  a  hat 
almost  glued  to  the  head,  and  a  thick 
veil  if  one  prefers  not  being  skinned  by 
the  wind  whilst  moving  with  such  rapid- 
ity through  it. 

On  our  second  journey  from  the  Cor- 
dillera we  quite  expected  to  occupy  this 
flying  car  from  Chicla,  Init  recent  acci- 
dents frustrated  the  intention  and  obliged 


114  TWELVE  MONTHS  IN  PERU. 

the  superintendent  to  deny  ns  one  :  tlie 
ordinary  train,  however,  proved  ecpially 
(convenient  then,  und  I  cannot  say  that  I 
regretted  the  loss  of  this  cLaim  to  honour 
and  distinction.  Compulsory  perils  must 
be  met,  but  the  credit  of  having  accom- 
plished an  nnnecessavji  hazardous  feat  I 
willingly  resign  to  those  wdio  have  some 
lives  to  spare. 

Leaving  Chicla  at  an  early  h(.)ur 
nearly  a  week  after  our  arrival  there,  we 
once  more  thread  a  stony  path  beside  the 
river,  and  then  the  heights  above,  with  the 
loathsome-lookino-  condor  hoverino-  over- 
head.  Flowers  and  ferns  are  desert- 
ing us  now,  and  lichens  and  Alpine 
growths  supply  their  place.  But  tlie 
magnificence  of  the  Cordillera,  unsur- 
passed in  the  grandeur  of  its  scenery, 
entrances  us   afresh,  and   the   mountains 


IN  THE  SIERRA.  115 

show  more  verdure  tlie  higher  we  ascend, 
although  the  last  real  tree  we  shall 
behold  for  many  months  is  snugly  nest- 
ling close  to  Cliicla. 

Suddenly,  the  village  of  Casapalca 
1)ursts  upon  our  view — an  oasis  indeed — • 
for  in  a  well-known  mining  hacienda 
there  a  hearty  welcome  greets  our  advent. 
With  what  amazement,  too,  we  gaze  upon 
the  vast  machinery  at  work,  and  all 
transported  there  by  mules  !  Upon  the 
distant  hill-top  an  almost  upright  railroad 
is  discerned,  from  which  a  covered  car 
emerges  laden  with  silver  ore.  Intent 
on  business,  down  the  line  it  rushes,  p>ast 
its  empty  upward  bound  companion,  until 
the  terminus  is  reached,  when  with 
wonderful  precision  it  droj^s  its  precious 
freight  into  a  vast  recej^tacle  beneath, 
and  hastily  resumes  its  upward  track  to 


IK)  TWELVE  MONTHS  IN  PERU. 

liLirry  down  agcain.  Macliinery  and 
furnaces  of  wondrous  size  and  lieat  soon 
separate  the  metal  from  the  ore,  and 
solid  silver  l^ars  are  the  result.  AVithin 
the  house  hot-water  pipes  and  heated 
stoves  soon  thaw  our  frozen  limbs,  and 
breakfast  satisfies  keen  hunger's  chiim. 
How  pleasaut  is  this  rest !  But  Time, 
man's  enemy  and  friend,  is  on  the  wane, 
and  every  hour  delayed  but  makes  the 
summit  crossino-  more  inclement. 

Again  we  wing  our  flight,  and  soon 
the  snow-capped  heights,  emerging  from 
their  verdant  base,  seem  closing  in  upon 
us.  Tlie  beasts,  now  conscious  of  their 
liomeward  track,  step  boklly  forth,  and 
stem  the  rapid  streams  with  willing  tread. 
But  they,  too,  have  their  troubles  here, 
and  if  not  thoroughly  accustomed  to  the 
mountain    air,     or     made    to    scale    the 


IN  THE  SIERRA.  11  9 

heights  too  rapidly,  are  liable  lo  fall 
down  suddenly  with  sorroche,  after  whicJi 
they  are  seldom  of  much  use  for  lengthy 
rides.  None  could  have  performed  the 
journey  with  greater  satisfaction  to  their 
riders  than  our  own,  although  I  some- 
what distrusted  the  gentle  appearance  of 
the  ne(/ra  when  she  bolted  up  a  solid 
rock  with  me  on  the  approach  of  a  work- 
man's car,  and  still  more  when  she 
caracoled  so  gracefully  near  the  summit 
on  having  to  pass  dead  llamas  and  mules 
(which  so  often  strew  the  ground  around) 
and  left  me  with  a  broken  tail-strap  for 
the  eastern  descent! 

Now,  far  ahead  Mount  Meiggs  appears, 
and  then  the  summit  rans^e  is  crossed 
amidst  severest  snow  and  sleet  that  stop 
the  flow  of  mirth.  Enveloped  in  our 
rugs,  we  peep  around,  and  marvel  whether 


120  TWELVE  MONTHS  IN  PERU, 

it  is  ever  thus  at  17,000  feet,  wlieu 
suddenly  a  liut  appears,  and  into  it  we 
creep.  The  smoke  is  stifling  here,  and  in 
a  dim  and  distant  corner  lies  a  fever- 
stricken  Indian  man.  Sorroche  troubles 
most  of  us,  and  the  tiny  doorway  is  soon 
blocked  in  vain  endeavours  to  get  air. 
An  hour  thus  is  passed,  the  storm  mean- 
while increasing,  and  nothing  now  remains 
but  to  remount  our  saturated  mules  if  we 
would  reach  our  mountain  home  ere 
nightfall.  Again  the  ponchos  and 
hufandas  are  produced,  and  then  the 
eastern  slope  is  crossed  in  sadder,  if  not 
wiser,  mood.  Even  a  cemetery  fails  to 
arouse  us  now,  and  Huascacocha  at 
1G,000  feet,  one  of  the  sources  of  the 
Amazon,  and  all  the  other  mountain 
lakes  are  passed  quite  silently.  Llamas 
bearing    merchandise    from   the    interior 


IN  THE  SIERRA.  121 

are  seen,  the  former  extensive  copper 
works  of  Morococha,  the  silver  works 
of  Tuctii,  and  the  mines  of  Yanamina 
skirted  ere  a  friendly  tamho  offers  ns  a 
moment's  shelter  under  its  tiny  porch. 

The  river  Mantaro,  or  a  tributary  of  it, 
next  is  crossed,  and  from  a  neiohbourino- 
height  our  lonely  little  home  is  seen, 
most  snugly  buried  in  the  vale  beneath. 
Its  English  farmhouse  look  and  pleasant 
thatcli  were  cheering  to  our  gaze,  and 
soon  a  heated  stove  and  hearty  meal 
revive  our  drooping  frames. 

At  Clucla  we  had  been  oblioed  to  do 
without  any  hvycra^e  for  a  dav  and  nig;ht 
on  account  of  the  inability  of  the  Cholo 
in  attendance  to  get  his  pack  mules 
through  the  water  at  Viso,  and  now,  alas  ! 
we  find  that  the  sacks  despatched  from 
Lima  more  than  a  month  ago,  and  con- 


122  TWELVE  MONTHS  IN  PERU. 

taining;  the  bulk  of  our  winter  clotliinsj 
and  house  linen,  have  been  stolen  !  At 
length  some  Indians  are  imprisoned  for 
the  theft,  and  in  five  weeks'  time  the 
sacks  are  returned  almost  intact,  and 
their  contents  need  only  disinfecting. 
New  boots  and  shoes,  fur  cloaks,  and 
gowns  presented  few  attractions  to  the 
thieves ;  but  art  muslin  curtains,  some 
doilies,  a  cushion,  and  a  tennis  racquet 
(which  had  been  packed  by  mistake,  and 
which  I  always  thought  the  Indians 
looked  upon  as  an  improved  clothes' 
washer),  evidently  took  their  fancy. 

How  stranQ;e  it  is  to  dwell  in  this 
Andean  nest  with  snowy  Puy-Puy  gazing 
so  benignly  on  our  solitude,  and  hundreds 
of  graceful  llamas  browsing  on  the  slopes 
around.  The  Cholo-Indian  dwellers  in 
the   few    surrounding    huts    look   kindly 


IN  THE  SIERRA.  123 

on  US  as  they  murmur  Quicliua  blessings, 
and  the  children  soon  become  our  little 
friends,  and  run  and  join  us  in  our  walks. 
The  mornings,  as  a  ride,  are  sunshiny 
and  bright,  and  then  these  stately  walks 
occur,  for  Nature  does  not  give  us  oxygen 
enough  at  14,300  feet  to  make  much 
haste  in  anything.  At  one  o'clock,  or 
later,  hail,  snow,  or  rain  falls  daily,  and 
then  the  turf-filled  stoves  invite  our 
presence  and  our  mental  growth,  until 
approaching  night  brings  forth  the  cosy 
chat  and  social  hour  at  wanderers'  return 
from  distant  mines ;  and  thus  our  days 
are  passed,  varied  sometimes  with  rides, 
photograpliy,  or  watching  the  process  of 
assaying  metals.  Telephones,  too,  were 
erected  during  our  visit  to  the  mountains, 
and  connect  the  hacienda  with  its  chief 
mines.     I  mention  this  fact  because  I  do 


124  TWELVE  MONTHS  IN  PERU. 

not  imagine  that  any  other  telephones  in 
good  working  order  can  be  found  at 
16,000  feet  above  the  ocean  leveL 

A  sudden  change  of  climate  next  occurs, 
and  at  the  close  of  the  November  month 
a  fortnight's  Indian  summer  cheers  our 
hearts,  and  motions  us  to  sjDend  a  dreamy 
hour  upon  the  river's  bank. 

The  frequent  heavy  rains  in  the  Cordil- 
lera have  already  been  alluded  to.  They 
are  caused  by  evaporation  from  the 
Pacific,  and  the  mountain  streams  fed  by 
them  supply  the  rivers  flowing  into  the 
Atlantic,  hence  this  ocean  is  supplied 
with  water  from  the  Pacific. 


CHAPTER  III. 

At  Cliristmastide  a  half-religious,  lialf- 
secular  festival  was  observed  by  the 
Cholo-Indians,  who  formerly  spoke  jDure 
Quichua,  the  court  language  of  the 
eleventh  century,  and  quite  distinct  from 
the  ancient  Chimu  of  the  coast,  but  have 
now  mixed  up  Spanish  with  their  own 
A^ocabulary.  The  Tarma  band  of  drums 
and  cornets  was  then  in  great  request, 
and  night  as  well  as  day  the  native 
dances  Howed,  while  yarahis,  Indian  love 
songs,  sounded  weird  and  sad  with  strains 
from    the    guitar.     In    clowns'    patched 

127 


128  TWELVE  MONTHS  IN  PERU. 

clothes  and  hideous  masks  some  dozen 
Cholos  took  the  lead,  and  entertained 
beholders  with  a  merry  dance  or  speech, 
allowing  little  pause  for  rest.  A  cur  a 
next  arrived,  and  masses,  marriages,  and 
baptisms  were  held  at  a  considerable 
expense,  while  festoons  of  real  flowers 
from  Tarma  and  varie-coloured  papers 
adorned  the  church,  and  all  the  saints 
were  washed  and  renovated  for  the  feast. 
Curious  indeed  were  many  of  the  customs 
observed  at  the  Yule-tide  feast  by  this 
usually  melancholy  race,  whose  chief 
characteristics  are  an  apathetic  demeanour 
and  absence  of  expression,  and  the  comi- 
cal way  in  which  the  cura  was  escorted 
to  and  from  church  by  maskers  as  he 
quietly  lit  and  smoked  a  cigarette  was 
not  the  least  interesting  feature  of  the 
week.      Chicha,     already     noticed,     and 


IN  THE  SIERRA.  129 

chacta,  an  intoxicant  made  from  molasses, 
are  freely — too  freely — partaken  of  by 
the  Cliolos  now  and  at  all  times  ;  and  as 
the  women  were  engaged  in  boiling  the 
former  in  earthen  pots  called  hoyas 
outside  the  huts,  a  merry  dance  took 
place  around  the  fires. 

Bull  fights  were  a  prominent  feature  in 
the  festivities  too,  when  great  dexterity 
was  exercised  by  Serranos  in  throwing  the 
poncho  and  screening  themselves  from 
attack,  to  say  nothing  of  the  pluck  of  the 
women,  who  fearlessly  rushed  into  the 
jyatio  and  dragged  their  husbands  from  the 
scene  of  action.  Fireworks  and  Chinese 
lanterns  were  displayed  there  also, 
although  the  former  were  usually  dis- 
charged in  broad  daylight.  In  fact,  a 
general  "goodwill"  pervaded  the  race, 
and  often  were  we  the  objects   of  their 


130  TWELVE  MONTHS  IN  PERU. 

friendly  embrace,  a  ceremony  most 
unwelcom.e  to  our  cleanly  natures  on 
account  of  their  ignorance  of,  or  anti- 
pathy to,  the  use  of  soap  ! 

It  was  no  unusual  thins-,  even  in  the 
church,  for  women  to  rise  from  their 
knees,  kiss  our  hands,  and  then  return 
to  prayer.  This  Christmas  was  said  to 
be  the  gayest  held  there  for  many  years, 
and  likely  to  be  handed  down  to  Indian 
posterity  as  worthy  of  remembrance. 

The  Indians  have  the  character  of 
pilfering ;  but  after  once  stealing  our 
clothes,  it  never  seems  to  have  occurred 
to  them  to  rob  us  further,  and  although 
the  front  door  was  generally  left  unlocked 
during  the  night,  and  the  sitting  room 
easy  of  access,  we  never  missed  anything 
but  a  door-mat  from  the  house. 

The   style    of  dress  is  picturesque  in 


IN  THE  SIERRA.  131 

many  parts  of  the  Sierra,  and  here  the 
women  wear  a  country-woven  skirt,  a 
gaily-coloured  woollen  square,  sometimes 
fastened  across  the  chest  with  a  laroje- 
headed  silver  pin,  a  broad  felt  hat,  and 
ordinary  leather  boots  or  bullock  hide 
shoes  fastened  with  plaited  woollen 
thongs.  Their  skin  is  very  dark,  and 
their  long,  straight  glossy  hair  is  parted 
down  the  back,  and  hangs  in  two  long 
plaits  or  braids. 

The  chief  anxiety  of  the  men  seems 
centred  in  their  hose,  and  frequently 
may  they  be  seen  wearing  two  or  even 
three  knitted  pairs  at  the  same  time.  A 
kind  of  knickerbocker  costume  meets  the 
hose,  and  shoes  of  bullock  hide  protect 
the  feet,  while  nearly  every  Cliolo  sports 
a  llama  i^oncho,  often  brightly  striped, 
and  broad  felt  hat.     Their  eyes  and  skin 


132  TWELVE  MONTHS  IX  PERU. 

are  dark,  and  unkempt  liair  and  curious 
little  tufts  arrano;ed  about  the  ears  in- 
crease  the  usual  mournfuluess  of  counten- 
ance. Chewing  his  coca  leaves,  he  saunters 
along,  and  with  a  small  suppl}^  of  it 
mixed  with  lime  can  do  without  a  meal 
sometimes  for  days  together.  A  Ijeverage 
similar  to  tea  is  made  from  coca  too,  and 
proves  most  stimulating  and  sustaining 
to  the  mountain  traveller,  as  we  often 
found.  Under  the  name  of  cocaine  this 
plant  is  known  in  Europe  as  a  valuable 
anaesthetic,  and  in  the  time  of  the  Incas 
so  highly  was  it  prized  that  the  coca 
trees  were  reserved  for  their  special  use. 
It  is  obtained  from  the  Erytliroxylon, 
which  resembles  the  tea- shrub,  and  grows 
in  sheltered  places  about  six  thousand 
feet  above  the  sea.  The  tree  often 
attains  six  feet  in  height,  and  has  bright, 


IX  THE  SIERRA.  135 

green  leaves  and  white  blossoms,  which 
afterwards  develop  into  red  bei-ries. 

Hundreds  of  stately  llamas  dot  the 
valleys  and  the  mountain  slopes,  while 
frequently  their  outline  may  be  seen  on 
some  high,  airy  cliff  apparently  quite 
near  the  sky.  And  a  pretty  sight  it  is 
to  see  them  gazing  shyly  round  as  they 
march  along  in  droves  laden  with  sacks 
containing  precious  ore.  Al)out  100  lbs. 
each  carries ;  and  should  the  chaconia 
who  lades  them  attempt  to  put  much 
greater  weight,  they  doggedly  refuse  to 
move  until  relieved  of  part. 

Before  visiting  the  country  I  had  read 
a  great  deal  about  the  affection  of  the 
arrieov  for  his  llamas,  and  understood 
that  he  frequently  knelt  down  beside 
them  and  with  endearing  terms  coaxed 
them  to  arise.     This  must  have  been  in 


136  TWELVE  MONTHS  IN  PERU. 

bygone  ages,  for  iwods  are  used  now, 
and  the  Cholo  of  the  present  day  treats 
his  Ihimas  somewhat  after  the  same  style 
as  his  ancestors  were  treated  by  their 
Spanish  conquerors.  Llamas  vary  both 
in  shade  and  colour,  but  dark  brown  ones 
with  black  head  and  feet  are  generally 
the  most  admired.  The  coarse  ycliii 
grass,  growmg  in  tufts  upon  the  mountain 
slopes,  is  all  the  food  they  need,  and  for 
the  transportation  of  ore  and  merchandise 
they  arc  invcaluable,  males  onl}^-  being 
worked.  A  curious  foct  connected  with 
them  is  that  after  nightfall,  even  thougli 
they  may  just  have  arrived  from  a  whole 
day's  journey,  they  will  take  no  food 
until  the  dawn. 

Time  passes  quickly  here,  and  many 
pleasant  rides  on  horses  and  on  mules 
we   take,    where    red    auriferous   heights 


IN  THE  SIERRA.  139 

with  snowy  peaks  1)eneatli  a  glaring  sun 
demand  our  warmest  admiration ;  or 
again,  where  giant  icicles  bespeak  the 
frigid  atmosphere. 

Yauli,  the  postal  town,  is  about  two 
leagues  away,  and  has  warm  mineral 
springs  that  contain  the  same  curative 
properties  as  the  European  ones  of  Carls- 
bad. On  our  first  visit  to  this  to  v\^n  we 
formed  a  curious  company  I  own,  one 
lady  being  mounted  on  a  horse  that 
pirouetted  gaily  for  half  an  liour  in  his 
amazement  at  seeino-  a  ridino-  haljit  for 
the  first  time,  our  Peruvian  escort 
bestriding  a  mule  that  never  ceased 
kicking  for  two  minutes  together,  and  I 
myself  exerting  all  my  strength  to  check 
a  powerful  and  frisk}'  mule  that  had  not 
been  exercised  for  nearly  a  week  ! 

But     Yauli,     and     the     neiohbouring 


140  TWELVE  MONTHS  IN  PERU. 

Pachachaca,  show  signs  of  war's  destructive 
power  in  roofless,  ruined  houses,  for  the 
Chilians  psnetrated  even  here,  and  a  force 
of  five  thousand  men  reached  Tarma  and 
even  Jauja  beyond.  As  elsewhere  in  the 
mouD  tains,  adobe,  sun-dried  bricks,  are 
used  for  walls,  and  thatch,  or  corrugated 
iron,  kept  in  place  by  w^eighty  stones, 
supplies  a  roof. 

The  famous  Chanchamayo  valley,  with 
its  fruitful  crops  and  genial  clime,  Tarma, 
Huancayo,  and  Jauja,  the  haven  of 
consumptives,  all  lie  within  a  few  days' 
ride  on  mule-back  from  us,  and  welcome 
foreign  residents.  Much  beautiful  silver 
filigree  work,  too,  is  done  at  Huancayo, 
Cerro  de  Pasco,  and  other  j^laces  in  the 
interior  ;  and  from  the  wool  of  the  llama, 
vicuna,  huanaco,  and  alpaca  ponchos, 
hufandas,  blankets,  and  rugs  are  made. 


IN  THE  SIERRA.  141 

while  the  rabbit-like  chinchilla  supplies 
the  fur  so  greatly  prized  in  Europe. 
The  Mantaro,  or  Oroya,  is  the  only  river 
of  importance  in  the  district,  and  its 
affluents  wind  serpent-like  throughout  the 
Yauli  valley. 

Biscaches,  animals  resembling  rab- 
bits in  appearance  and  taste,  wild 
geese,  ducks,  teal,  and  other  water-fowl 
abound,  and  smaller  birds  are  often  seen 
as  well.  The  gioom}'-looking  condor  flies 
far  o'erhead,  eager  for  his  prey,  and 
presently  swoops  down  to  feast  upon  the 
carrion  near,  so  quickly  sighted  by  his 
piercing  glance. 

Cattle,  sheep,  the  native  horse  and 
mule,  can  live  here  well,  but  donkeys, 
goats,  domestic  fowl,  soon  suffer  from 
the  altitude  and  die. 

On  tJie  miuino'  statistics  of  Peru  it   is 


142  TWELVE  MONTHS  IN  PERU. 

not  my  purpose  to  enlarge ;  that  has 
already  been  done,  and  will  again  be 
attempted,  by  an  abler  pen  than  mine,  as 
the  flow  of  European  emigration  to  this 
Western  storehouse  increases. 

All  native  and  foreign  residents  in  the 
Sierra  are  engaged  in  some  way  r  other 
with  mining  interests,  and  even  casual 
visitors  become  enthusiastic  over  ores 
displayed. 

No  trees  nor  vegetables  take  root  in 
this  ungenial  clime,  and  yet  a  restful 
verdure  clothes  the  country  round,  and 
tiny  little  flowers  with  stalks  not  half  an 
inch  in  hei2;ht,  the  low-o-rowino;  cactus 
with  its  yellow  flowers,  and  a  few  hardy 
ferns  proclaim  that  Flora  deigns  to  visit 
even  this  lone,  lofty  spot.  Indeed,  it 
was  while  prowling  round  alone  in 
quest    of  ferns    one    day   that   my  head 


IN  THE  SIERRA.  143 

became  wedged  between  two  rocks.  The 
coveted  specimen  lay  far  back,  and  in 
order  to  reach  it  I  was  obliged  to  stretch 
myself  on  the  ground  and  insert  my  head 
and  hand. 

The  entrance  was  easy  enough,  and  the 
fern  grasped,  but  how  to  withdraw  myself 
again  was  quite  another  matter.  Wriggle 
as  I  would,  my  head  would  not  come  out, 
and  I  was  beginning  to  think  seriously 
and  fearfully  of  my  horrible  fate, 
and  wondering  whether  it  could  pos- 
sibl)'  have  increased  in  size  since  it 
entered  there,  when  a  lucky  twist  released 
me.  This  was  my  last  exjDerience  of  fern- 
gathering  amongst  the  rocks,  and  hence- 
forth I  odadly  left  them  for  other  hands 
to  pluck  ! 

The  waterfall  of  Puy-Puy  is  one  of  the 
grandest  sights  within  a  day's  ride  of  us, 


144  TWELVE  MONTHS  IN  PERU. 

and  it  fairly  dazzles  the  beholder  with  its 
wondrous  grace  and  beauty  as  it  glistens 
in  the  mornino-  sun.  At  the  base  of  an 
ever  snowelad  point  (19,000  feet)  this 
waterfall,  of  seven  parts,  at  16,800  feet 
above  the  sea,  forms  one  of  the  sources  of 
the  mighty  Amazon,  and  is  approached  l:)y 
narrow,  rocky  pathways,  where  in  one 
place  the  mules'  heads  are  seen  round  one 
side  of  a  projecting  rock,  while  their  tails 
remain  on  the  other,  so  narrow  and  wind- 
ing is  the  path.  At  the  waterfall  we 
held  a  birthday  picnic,  and  so  scorching 
was  the  sun  that  we  gladly  retired  to  the 
rocks  for  shelter.  Potted  meats,  sardines, 
eggs,  wine,  beer,  and  every  Sierra  luxury 
were  displayed — the  bread  alone  was 
missing ! — and  a  very  pleasant  day  was 
passed ;  but  on  returning  to  our  home 
at    four    o'clock,    we    found    deep    snow 


IN  THE  SIERRA.  145 

around,    tlius    quickl}^    does   our    climate 
change. 

A  few  months'  bracing  mountain  air, 
and  then  a  journey  to  the  coast  once 
more,  o'er  snow  and  ice  that  make  the 
beasts  walk  warily,  and  tax  our  utmost 
strength  and  watchfulness  in  keeping  up 
at  all.  Such  weather  has  not  been  for 
many  years,  and  our  progression  is  but 
slow  across  the  bleak  and  pathless 
summit  to  the  town  of  Chicla.  Coloured 
glasses  somewhat  shield  our  eyesight 
from  the  crlare,  but  nothino;  saves  our 
faces  from  the  cold.  For  nine  lono; 
hours  w^e  ride,  and  then  with  faces 
skinned  and  limbs  lienumbed,  despite  the 
welcome  halt  at  Casapalca,  seek  shelte]' 
for  the  night,  and  cpiit  familiar  Chicla  by 
the  mornino;  train  bound  for  the  coast. 


CHAPTER  lY. 

To  say  that  we  enjoyed  a  return  to 
warmth  would  but  slightly  convey  the 
joy  experienced ;  and  even  the  five  long 
hours  at  Verrugas  Bridge,  under  a 
scorching  sun,  were  not  unbearable, 
althoug;h  so  sudden  a  chano-e  of  climate 
sorely  tried  our  constitutions ;  and  on 
seeing  the  tiny  car  pitch  like  a  vessel  at 
sea,  or  a  swinging  l^oat  at  a  fair,  I 
decided  wpon  leaving  my  friends  to  cross 
the  bridge  alone,  and  performed  my  transit 
by  the  steep  and  lengthy  valley  path 
instead.  But  the  alternative  was  an 
arduous  and  risky  exploit ;  and  had  it  not 
been  for  the  ready  help  afforded  by  the 

146 


IN  THE  SIERRA.  147 

Chilian  and  Peruvian  who  attended  me, 
and  carried  me  over  the  widest  jumps, 
my  mangled  remains  would  certainly 
have  been  left  below  for  the  condors' 
investio-ation. 

Weary,  sick,  and  faint,  and  with  the 
lament  of  old  Gobbo's  son,  "  When  I  shun 
Scylla  your  father,  I  fall  into  Charybdis 
your  mother,"  ringing  in  mine  ears,  the 
next  few  hours  are  passed,  until  the 
locomotive  takes  us  to  Chosica,  where 
old  acquaintances  look  strangely  on  our 
much  discoloured  fsices,  and  disconcert 
us  by  their  askant  looks,  as  though  they 
greeted     visitants     from     other     worlds. 

CD 

Evidently  when  they  said  adios  so  affec- 
tionately some  UKjiiths  ago  they  meant 
it,  and  our  reappearance  quite  takes 
them  by  surprise.  The  idea  is  gruesome, 
but   we    weather  it,   and   the    next    day 


148  TWELVE  MONTHS  IN  PERU. 

journey  on  a  liand-car  do\Yn  to  Lima. 
Undoubtedly  it  was  wise  to  enter  the 
capital  in  an  unpretentious  hand-car 
instead  of  in  the  ordinary  train,  as  our 
main  object  now  was  to  escape  the  public 
gaze,  and  hide  mahogany  physiognomies 
for  a  while  until  tlie  skinning  process 
should  be  over.  But  wan  and  ghastly 
all  our  former  friends  appear,  and  their 
pallor  wakes  a  vein  of  pity  in  our  bosoms 
as  they  call  to  greet  us  back.  Thty, 
surely,  must  be  greatly  changed,  or  we. 

The  heat  is  now  intense,  and  Gmiya- 
quil  liammocks  but  enhance  a  dolce  far 
niente  life,  until  the  Carnival  comes  round 
and  renders  every  spot  unsafe,  and  even 
trusty  friends'  vicinity  suspicious  ;  while 
an  opera  season  and  the  city's  gaieties 
are  truly  grateful  after  some  months' 
seclusion  in  the  loftv  Cordillera;  for  man 


IN  THE  SIERRA.  149 

is  of  a  gregarious  nature,  after  all,  despite 
dyspeptic  utterances  of  poets  and  pliil- 
osophers. 

A  sojourn  at  the  sea  is  next  proposed, 
and  soon  we  are  established  at  Barranco, 
not  half  an  hour  by  train  from  Lima, 
and  walk  on  to  the  Hat  roof  of  the 
curiously  built  hotel  on  emerging  from 
our  rooms.  A  charming  public  avenue, 
beneath  a  trellis-work  of  vines,  conducts 
us  to  the  bathing-place,  and  rocky  banks 
and  caves  are,  as  at  Miraflores,  covered 
and  lined  with  maiden-hair  fern,  through 
which  a  constant  stream  is  seen  to  gently 
percolate.  But  strictly  primitive  the 
bathing  is,  and  whites  and  blacks  all 
take  their  dip  together,  and  battle  with 
the  waves  in  unison. 

Mindful  of  many  warnings  from 
residents,    and    of    the     unpleasant     cir- 


150  TWELVE  MONTHS  IN  PERU. 

cumstance  of  l3eing  followed  by  a  ruffian 
when  exploring  Lima's  outskirts,  1  now 
endeavoured  to  restrict  my  walks  to 
parts  inhabited ;  but  one  day  wandered 
on  until  the  battlefield  of  Miraflores  lay 
before  me,  and  sorrowfully  I  dwelt  on 
scenes  enacted  there  in  1881  between 
two  nations  who  but  yesterday  boasted 
of  one  common  brotherhood,  and,  in  a 
practically  cival  war,  so  rudely  trampled 
on  the  sacred  ties  of  ancestry  and  kindred. 

At  Ancon,  La  Punta,  Chorrillos,  Bar- 
ranco,'or  Miraflores,  the  well-to-do  inhabi- 
tants of  Lima  may  generally  be  found 
during  the  capital's  most  enervating 
seasons. 

Again  we  journey  to  our  mountain 
home,  travelling  by  the  train  this  time 
as  far  as  Chicla,  and  crossing  dread 
Verrugas    in   the   car  suspended  from   a 


IN  THE  SIERRA.  151 

chain — a  l^etter  mode  by  far  than  that 
employed  by  workmen,  who  are  slung 
over  on  a  l)oard  without  sides,  and  often 
have  not  space  for  both  feet  on  the  plank, 
as  Avitli  iron  grip  their  hands  close  on  the 
chains  above.  No  unknown  terrors  now 
to  mar  our  upward  flight ;  and  the  very 
elements,  as  though  to  compensate  for 
former  wrongs,  suspend  their  fury  for 
a  while,  and  disclose  fresh  beauties  in  the 
distant  canons,  or  in  snowy  peaks  that 
seem  to  pierce  the  sky.  awicroft  Ubiaty 

Amono^st  the  Indian  race  a  curious 
custom  still  prevails  of  wearing  mourning 
for  the  Inca,  killed  in  1533;  though 
whether  they  don  it  to  commemorate  any 
circumstance  connected  witli  that  monarch, 
or  only  when  their  immediate  surround- 
ings are  distasteful,  I  was  unal^le  to 
ascertain.       The    women    wear    a    black 


152  TWELVE  MONTHS  IN  PERU. 

gown  with  broad,  l)riglitly  -  flowered 
border ;  and  on  the  only  occasion  when  a 
mourner  came  beneath  my  notice,  it 
seemed  to  have  been  put  on  with  special 
reference  to  a  departing  priest,  who, 
judging  by  the  frantic  eff'orts  made  by 
his  followers  to  drao;  him  throuo-h  the 
carriage  window,  must  have  been  taking 
with  him  all  their  hopes  of  future  bliss 
as  well  as  present  solace. 

A  few  weeks  later  still,  and  Lima 
welcomes  us  again,  but  only  for  adieux. 
The  year,  with  all  its  strange  experiences, 
has  quickly  flown,  and  as  farewells  are 
said,  two  strangely  difi'erent  sorrows  fill 
my  heart.  The  one,  that  some  of  our 
number  remain  behind  ;  the  other,  thnt 
that  ancient  capital  of  Cuzco  has  not 
been  seen.  Ruins  are,  it  is  true,  its  chief 
characteristics  now,  l)ut  all  our  memories 


IN  THE  SIERRA.  153 

of  ancient  Incas  cling  to  the  spot ;  and,  if 
we  may  credit  the  writings  of  Sarmiento 
who  visited  it  in  1550,  and  gleaned  his 
information  from  the  natives,  "neither  in 
Jerusalem,  Rome,  nor  Persia,  nor  in  nny 
other  part  of  the  world,  was  there  ever 
collected  in  one  place  such  a  profuse 
magnificence  of  treasure  in  gold,  silver, 
and  jewels,  as  at  this  place  Cuzco."  We 
know,  moreover,  that  its  large  stone 
temple  of  the  Sun,  and  many  other  build- 
ings, excited  the  keenest  admiration  of 
the  Spanish  conquerors,  and  that  the 
Ijulk  of  Atahualpa's  ransom  was  collected 
here — a  ransom,  alas  !  that  failed  to  free 
him  frrjm  the  terrible  garrote  at  the 
hands  of  his  faithless  enemies  on  August 
29,  1533.  But  Cuzco  was  too  far  ofi", 
and  would  have  entailed  a  voj^age  to 
Mollendo,    and    then    a    tedious    inland 


154  TWELVE  MONTHS  IX  PERU. 

journey  towards  the  shores  of  famous 
Titicaca,  so  j^erforce  remained  unvisited, 

"Adieu,  thou  hospitable  and  sunny 
land  !  May  peace  at  home  protect  thee, 
and  success  abroad  attend  thee,  until 
thine  ancient  splendor  greet  thee." 

With  a  goodly  company  on  jjoard,  and 
the  usual  comj)lement  of  cosmopolitan 
adventurers  and  priests,  the  stately  vessel 
skims  the  ocean  fair,  beneath  a  scorching 
sun,  onu'ard  to  Pananica.  A  veritable 
Lethe  this,  where  the  business  man 
forgets  his  sordid  cares,  the  sorrowful  his 
woes,  and  only  Muses  and  the  merry  god 
are  welcomed  in  our  midst.  "Enchant- 
ing Nature  !  thy  beauty  is  not  only  in 
heaven  and  earth,  but  in  the  waters 
under  our  feet." 

Ao-ain  the  arid  Paita  coastdine  looms 

o 

ahead  :  but  on  hearino'  that  the  interi(ir 


IN  THE  SIERRA.  155 

is  green  and  fertile,  and  that  a  corpse 
had  to  be  decoyed  from  Panama  to  quiet 
the  superstition  respecting  an  untenanted 
cemetery,  we  are  somewhat  comforted 
concerning  the  welfare  of  the  compulsory 
residents  there. 

No  Istlimian  reptiles  to  molest  us 
now.  Our  temporary  home  is  on  the  Bay 
of  Panama,  and  varied  l^y  stray  shots  at 
sharks,  a  picnic  to  an  island  near,  and 
struQ-ffles  after  orchids,  until  the  train 
transports  us  to  Colon  to  join  that  ancient 
s.s.  of  the  same  cognomen  bound  for  ^ 
New  York.  No  calm  Pacitic  waters  theg^f^ 
and  the  rough  Carribbean  grants  no 
knowledge  of  the  many  passengers, 
amongst  whom  curious  Californian  speci- 
mens are  ranged,  until  King  Neptune's 
wrath  is  spent,  and  Heaven's  artillery  is 
heard  no  more. 


156  TWELVE  MONTHS  IN  PERU. 

Tlie  island  of  Navassa  next  appears, 
wliose  rigorous  laws  i^ermit  no  woman  to 
approach  its  shores,  and  Cuba  and  other 
AVest  Indian  Islands  soon  are  sighted, 
before  Cape  Hatteras  is  passed,  and  the 
liofhts  of  Barneo-at  denote  our  nearness  to 
the  port.  On  the  following  morn  we 
ride  at  tmclior  off  State n  Island,  and  get 
a  near  view  of  the  colossal  statue  of 
Liberty,  so  full  of  meaning  to  the  sons 
and  daughters  of  thefi'ce.  But  harmony- 
is  here  invaded  by  the  Custom  House 
Inquisitor,  whose  chief  business  seems 
to  consist  in  finding  out  how  many 
travellers  speak  the  truth,  inasmuch  as 
they  are  first  of  all  requested  to  swear 
on  oath  that  they  possess  no  contrabands, 
and  are  then  subjected  to  a  searching 
test  on  the  New  York  wharf. 

How    widely    different   is    this    city's 


IN  THE  SIERRA.  157 

bustle  to  the  manana  and  "  at  yonr 
disposition  "  of  Peruvians,  who  place,  by 
word  of  mouth,  their  house  and  all  its 
contents  at  the  ''disposition"  of  their 
casual  acquaintances !  The  phrase  is 
neatly  turned,  though  meaningless,  and 
what  might  happen  if  an  unsuspicious 
foreio-ner  should  take  them  at  their  word 

o 

is  a  problem  difficult  to  solve. 

Amongst  Peruvians,  too,  it  is  infra 
dignitatem  for  a  woman  to  support  her- 
self by  exercising  brain  or  hand,  and 
many  a  man  is  sorely  pinched  through 
housing  his  spinster  sisters,  and  his 
cousins  and  his  aunts  ;  but  here,  in  this 
vast  city,  even  more  than  in  England 
itself,  the  women  take  their  stand  besi<le 
the  men  in  the  battle-field  of  life,  and 
hasten  to  their  daily  avocations. 

How  stirring  is  the  giant  capital,  and 


158  T\YELVE  MONTHS  IX  PERU. 

\\'itli  what  eager  eyes  I  gaze  upon  its 
"  lions  "  in  my  too  brief  stay  !  Althougli 
with  the  thermometer  at  103°  Fahren- 
heit, sight-seeing  is  somewhat  arduous, 
despite  tlie  fre<|uent  "lifts."  Broadway, 
Fifth  Avenue,  the  Elevated  Railroad, 
Central  Park,  and  Brookl3"n  Bridge  seem 
visited  in  dreams,  before  the  city's  name- 
sake of  the  Inman  Line  quits  Sandy 
Hook,  and  with  herculean  respiration 
bears  its  international  freight  of  pleasure- 
seekers  and  hard  workers  towards  that 
"precious  stone  set  in  the  silver  sea." 


THE    EXD. 


Printed  at  The  Edinburgh  Press,  9  cnid  11  Young  Street. 


OtSL-, 


Y  1)046177 


